LAVALLETTE – A local man was indicted for running down an elderly man while he had a number of substances in his system.
Brian Kosanke, 39, of Lavallette, was indicted by a grand jury on February 12 in connection with charges of Vehicular Homicide, Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide, Possession with Intent to Distribute Xanax, Possession of Xanax, and Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution. He is also facing the motor vehicle charge of Driving While Intoxicated.
Thomas Castronovo, 80, of Warren, N.J. was struck near the corner of Route 35 North and Guyer Avenue on the evening of Oct. 19, 2019. Officers and first responders administered lifesaving measures but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
An investigation revealed that Kosanke was traveling northbound on Route 35 when he struck Castronovo as he was crossing at Guyer Avenue.
Kosanke’s blood test that night revealed he was under the influence of Xanax, cocaine, fentanyl and Gabapentin. Blood tests take time, and so he was arrested on Nov. 7, 2019. He had Xanax on his person packaged for distribution when he was arrested. Surveillance camera footage from the night of the incident also found that he took something from his vehicle before police took him to the hospital for the blood test and recovered it later. That turned out to be heroin.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer thanked Senior Assistant Prosecutor Jamie Schron who is handling the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit, Lavallette Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit for their cooperative assistance leading to Kosanke’s Indictment.
