Defendant Seeks Expert Witness in Car Crash that Killed Hillsborough Woman

The 21-tear-old Plainsboro man indicted for second-degree vehicular homicide in the death of a Hillsborough woman appeared in court on Friday, asking for time to find an expert witness to review evidence from an event data recorder in his car.

Sahil Kulgod, 21, of Plainsboro, was indicted on April 30 on a charge of second-degree vehicular homicide after a Hillsborough woman was killed in a fatal car accident in January.

The data, which documents the peed, brake pressure, angle of the wheels and a vehicle’s RPM during the last five seconds before impact, is said to be a critical aspect of the case. According to nj.com, Kulgod has plead not guilty and his defense attorney, John McDonald, is expect back in court on Dec. 4 to report whether or not he finds an expert.

The Incident

On Sunday, Jan. 4, Hillsborough Police responded to a report of a two-car collision on Millstone River Road. An investigation determined that Kulgod, who was driving a 2015 Ford Focus, crossed-over the double-yellow lines and struck a 1991 BMW 525i, driven by Nancy Louie, 50, of Hillsborough. Louie, who was wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office said.

A passenger in the BMW, identified as Melissa Louie, 20, sustained minor injuries. Kulgod was uninjured in the crash, authorities said.

Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano said that “excessive speed was the proximate cause of the collision.” In addition to the indictment from Somerset County, Kulgod is facing charges of reckless driving and failure to maintain his lane of travel in Hillsborough Township Municipal Court. Soriano said there was no evidence of alcohol or drug use, or distracted driving in the collision.

If convicted of vehicular homicide, Kulgod could be sentenced to between five and 10 years in New Jersey state prison. He would be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.