NORTH PLAINFIELD, N.J. — A 35-year-old Plainfield man has been charged with vehicular homicide following a crash earlier this month that claimed the life of a 68-year-old Bridgewater resident, Somerset County authorities announced Friday.
Kavon Powell-Coleman was arrested in Somerville on March 13 and charged in connection to the March 4 collision at the intersection of Greenbrook Road and Duer Street, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald. Powell-Coleman was behind the wheel of a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee when it collided with a 2014 Ford F150 pickup truck, injuring multiple occupants and ultimately killing Victor Manuel Amaya Ramos.
Key Points
- Kavon Powell-Coleman was charged with second-degree vehicular homicide.
- Victor Manuel Amaya Ramos, 68, died days after the March 4 crash.
- Surveillance video showed Powell-Coleman speeding and failing to stop.
Police say Powell-Coleman was traveling at a high rate of speed down Duer Street—where the posted limit is 25 mph—and failed to stop at a stop sign before crashing into the F150. Surveillance footage captured the moments leading up to the impact, including the sound of a loud crash.
The Ford’s driver and front passenger sustained minor injuries, while Amaya Ramos, seated in the rear, was transported to a local hospital and later succumbed to his injuries on March 7.
Following a joint investigation by the Somerset County Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team, North Plainfield Police Traffic Safety Division, and the Major Crimes Unit, authorities determined Powell-Coleman’s driving was the primary cause of the crash.
Powell-Coleman was also issued multiple traffic summonses at the scene and is currently being held at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.
Speeding and a missed stop sign preceded the crash that left one man dead and a driver facing homicide charges.
