Red Bank Man Charged In Fatal Head-On Crash: Prosecutor

RED BANK, NJ — A Red Bank man has been charged in a head-on crash that killed a woman and an 11-year-old girl and injured a second 11-year-old girl on Saturday night, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.

Raul Luna-Perez, 43, was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and assault by auto in connection with the crash, prosecutors said.

According to Billhimer, Luna-Perez is also suspected of impaired driving, and a sample of his blood was taken under a court-approved warrant.

The Saturday night crash occurred at 11:20 p.m. at the intersection of Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive, prosecutors said.

Investigation into the crash revealed that a Dodge Durango (driven by Luna-Perez and containing two passengers) was traveling east on Cross Street when it crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic and collided head-on with a Nissan Sentra, authorities said.

The female driver of the Nissan Sentra was pronounced dead at the scene, and an 11-year-old girl who was a front-seat passenger was brought to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, where she succumbed to her injuries.

Another 11-year-old girl (who was seated in the back of the vehicle) was also brought to Monmouth Medical Center and is listed in serious but stable condition, prosecutors said.

The two passengers of the Dodge Durango were brought to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment of minor injuries and released.

Once first responders arrived at the scene, prosecutors said they detected that Luna-Perez showed signs of impairment. He was then brought to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where a blood sample was taken; authorities are waiting for the results of that testing.

Luna-Perez was then taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, where he is being held pending a detention hearing.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Lakewood Police, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit and the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office collaborated on the investigation.