A Jersey City man received a 10-year state prison sentence last week after admitting guilt for a drunken fatal crash in early 2021, authorities said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
On Friday, September 8th, Hudson County Superior Court Judge John A. Young, Jr. sentenced Jose Colon, 33, of Jersey City, to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison for the death of 30-year-old Jesus Gonzalez.
Colon pleaded guilty to first-degree death by auto for driving while intoxicated within 1,000 feet of school property on April 19th. The sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act and includes a consecutive 10-year driver’s license suspension.
On February 28th, 2021, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Colon was driving a 1996 Honda Civic on Christopher Columbus Drive near the Merseles Street in Jersey City at a high rate of speed when his vehicle struck the Attenuator-protected guard rail.
His passenger, later identified as Jersey City resident Jesus Gonzalez, was found in a lifeless condition at the scene. The single-vehicle crash occurred within 1,000 feet of James J. Ferris High School.
He was initially charged with aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide/driving while intoxicated on or near school property.
The Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit, with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department, investigated the case.
The state was represented by Assistant Prosecutor Andrew Baginski from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit.
