Ocean County Man Sentenced to State Prison for Vehicular Homicide
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February 18, 2022Ocean County Man Sentenced to State Prison for Vehicular Homicide
Brian Kosanke, 39, of Lavallette,
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office stated Thursday that a Lavallette man was sentenced to eight years in prison for a drug-impaired 2019 crash that killed an 83-year-old Warren County businessman.
Brian J. Kosanke, 41, was sentenced on Feb. 4 by Ocean County Superior Court Judge Michael T. Collins in the death of Thomas Castronovo of Warren on Oct. 19, 2019, according to First Assistant Prosecutor Michael Nolan. Collins sentenced Kosanke to eight years in jail for vehicular homicide and 18 months in prison for impeding apprehension or prosecution, all of which will be served consecutively. The No Early Release Act applies to Kosanke's vehicular murder term, which means he must complete 85 percent of his sentence, or at least 6 years and 9 months, before he is eligible for parole.Collins sentenced him to 30 days in prison, a three-month suspension of his driving privileges, and the installation of an ignition interlock device in the car he primarily drives for a year after he completes his prison sentence for driving while drunk.
Kosanke was held in the Ocean County Jail from Nov. 7, 2019, until Nov. 18, 2021, when he pled guilty, but was released on home detention against prosecutors' objections, according to Nolan.Castronovo, the founder of Warren's first drugstore, was killed on Route 35 north near Guyer Avenue at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 19, 2019, according to authorities. First responders administered lifesaving efforts before transporting him to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he died from his injuries, according to officials.
Officers discovered that Kosanke was travelling north on Route 35 when he collided with Castronovo as he crossed Guyer Avenue. Authorities said Kosanke submitted to a blood test, which revealed he was under the influence of Xanax, cocaine, morphine, fentanyl, and gabapentin when he hit Castronovo.
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