Toms River woman pleads guilty to vehicular homicide in fatal 2024 Manchester Crash
One of the rear-seat passengers, suffered severe injuries and was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.
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A 20-year-old Toms River woman has pled guilty to vehicular homicide and assault by auto in connection with a high-speed rollover crash in 2024 that claimed the life of an 18-year-old passenger.
Kailyn Gorga entered her guilty plea on July 31. State prosecutors are seeking a seven-year prison sentence, alongside a four-year sentence for assault by auto, with both sentences running concurrently.
The charges stem from an early morning crash on April 14, 2024, along Lacey Road in the Whiting section of Manchester Township. Authorities said Gorga was driving a 2008 Mazda 3 carrying five passengers when the vehicle struck a curbed median around 2:50 a.m. Gorga overcorrected her steering, causing the vehicle to overturn.
One of the rear-seat passengers, 18-year-old Catalina Reinoso of Brick Township, suffered severe injuries and was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. Reinoso tragically succumbed to her injuries five days later on April 19, 2024.
The four other passengers in the vehicle were treated at the hospital for their injuries and released.
Subsequent court-authorized blood tests revealed Gorga had a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .099%, exceeding New Jersey's legal limit of .08%. Lab testing also detected active THC and THC metabolites in her system at the time of the crash.
Gorga surrendered to Manchester Township Police in May 2024 and was released following processing under New Jersey’s bail reform guidelines. Her formal sentencing is scheduled for October 23, 2026.
