Plainfield Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison Following June Motor Vehicle Crash in Bridgewater

SOMERVILLE, NJ - A Plainfield man was sentenced to five years in prison following his conviction after a motor vehicle crash at the intersection of Route 22 and Vosseller Avenue in Bridgewater June 11, 2023, according to a release from Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.

Jose C. Villanueva-Izaguirre, 24, was sentenced to five years on the charges of three counts of third degree assault by auto; three counts of fourth degree assault by auto; three counts of fourth degree driving while unlicensed and causing serious bodily injury; and one count of third degree unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.

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In addition, McDonald said, Villanueva-Izaguirre was ordered to pay $17,623.73 restitution to one of the six victims.

Villanueva-Izaguirre was also sentenced for motor vehicle offenses of driving while intoxicated and driving while unlicensed.

Villanueva-Izaguirre pled guilty to the charges March 22.

According to McDonald, on June 11, 2023, at about 2:09 a.m., Villanueva-Izaguirre caused a motor vehicle crash. McDonald said the defendant was intoxicated, did not have a driver's license and two of the three passengers were not wearing seatbelts.

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McDonald said the Honda being driven by Villanueva-Izaguirre belonged to an acquaintance, and the defendant had taken the vehicle without the owner's knowledge or permission.

At the intersection, McDonald said, Villanueva-Izaguirre drove at a high speed through the red light and slammed into the right front side of a Kia with two passengers in addition to the driver. Two of the victims in the Kia suffered serious bodily injuries, and one victim in the Honda suffered severe near-fatal injuries.

Villanueva-Izaguirre and the other victims had minor injuries. Villanueva-Izaguirre's blood alcohol concentration was found to be 0.12%, and subsequent tests found the presence of cocaine and THC in his system.

The investigation was conducted by officers from the Bridgewater Township Police Department and members of the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team, and prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor John Ascione.

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