An off-duty Edison police officer, Amitoj Oberoi, has been charged with two counts of first-degree vehicular homicide in connection with a fatal crash in Franklin, Somerset County. Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald announced the charges on Wednesday. The 29-year-old officer was driving a 2007 Audi Q7 on Somerset Street (Route 27) near Voorhees Avenue on Sunday morning when he lost control of the vehicle. The car veered off the road, striking several trees, lamp posts, and a utility pole before coming to a stop.
Two rear-seat passengers, Carlos A. Perez-Gaytan, 24, and Victor Cabrera-Francisco, 20, died in the crash. Perez-Gaytan was thrown from the Audi, while Cabrera-Francisco was trapped inside. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. Oberoi sustained injuries and was taken to a local hospital, where he remains in stable condition. His front-seat passenger, a 29-year-old Highland Park resident, suffered minor injuries and declined medical attention.
Investigation revealed that Oberoi was speeding and legally intoxicated at the time of the crash. In addition to the criminal charges, he was also ticketed for driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving, improper passing, and failure to keep right. Oberoi is currently under police custody at a local hospital and will be taken to Somerset County Jail for processing and a detention hearing upon his medical release.
The length of Oberoi’s tenure with the Edison police force was 3 years. He previously graduated as a Special Law Enforcement Officer in Carteret.
