A Red Bank man has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and assault by auto following a deadly crash Saturday night in Lakewood that claimed the lives of a woman and an 11-year-old girl.
According to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, 43-year-old Raul Luna-Perez was behind the wheel of a Dodge Durango traveling eastbound on Cross Street around 11:20 p.m. on July 26 when he allegedly veered into oncoming traffic near Hearthstone Drive and struck a Nissan Sentra head-on.
The female driver of the Nissan was pronounced dead at the scene. Two 11-year-old girls were passengers in the vehicle. One, who was seated in the front, died shortly after being transported to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood. The other, who had been sitting in the rear seat, was also hospitalized and remains in serious but stable condition.
Luna-Perez and his two passengers suffered minor injuries and were treated at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. They were later released.
Authorities said Luna-Perez showed signs of impairment at the scene. He was transported to the hospital, where a blood sample was obtained under a court-authorized warrant. Test results are pending.
Luna-Perez is currently being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing. The incident is under investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit, Lakewood Township Police, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.