SOMERSET, NJ (TIP):  An off-duty Edison Township police officer, Amitoj Oberoi, has been sentenced to 15 years in state prison after a drunken crash claimed the lives of two passengers on Route 27 in Franklin Township last August. The 31-year-old Franklin resident was sentenced Wednesday by Somerset County Superior Court Judge Jonathan Romankow. Oberoi received two concurrent terms of 15 years for first-degree vehicular homicide, stemming from the deaths of Carlos Perez-Gaytan, 24, of Franklin, and Victor Cabrera-Francisco, 20, of North Brunswick, who were passengers in his vehicle. In addition to these charges, Oberoi was sentenced for driving while intoxicated. He will be required to serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
The tragic crash occurred in the early morning hours of August 27, 2023, when Oberoi, driving a 2007 Audi Q7 southbound on Somerset Street (Route 27), lost control of the vehicle at high speed. The car veered off the road, striking trees, lamp posts, and a utility pole before coming to a stop.
Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald reported that the crash, which happened around 6:22 a.m., resulted in the ejection of Perez-Gaytan, who was seated in the rear right of the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Cabrera-Francisco, sitting in the rear left, was trapped inside the wreckage and also pronounced dead after emergency responders worked to extricate him.
A third passenger, a 29-year-old man from Highland Park, was in the front seat and sustained minor injuries but refused medical treatment. Oberoi himself was taken to a nearby trauma center for treatment of his injuries.
Oberoi pleaded guilty to the charges on June 18, 2024. He had been suspended from his duties with the Edison Police Department pending the outcome of the case.
The sentencing marks the conclusion of a tragedy that devastated the families of the victims and raised concerns about accountability for those in positions of authority.4o