Speed is expected to be a major factor in the vehicular homicide case against a college senior from Plainboro.
HILLSBOROUGH -- Sahil Kulgod, a 21-year-old Plainsboro man indicted on a second-degree vehicular homicide charge in the death of a Hillsborough woman in January, was back in court Friday seeking time to get an expert witness to review the event data recorder in his car.
The state has already secured its own expert witness.
The results of the car's recorder are expected to be critical in determining the guilt or innocence of Kulgod, a senior at the University of Maryland, should the case go to trial. He has pleaded not guilty.
An event data recorder documents the last five seconds of data from a car before an impact. It records the speed, brake pressure, angle of the wheels and a vehicle's RPM.
The two sides are scheduled to return to court on Dec. 4 before Somerset County Superior Court Judge Bruce A. Jones at which time defense attorney John McDonald will inform the court of his efforts to find an expert.
John Louie, the husband of Nancy Louie, who died in the crash, was in the courtroom. The parents of Kulgod were also in court.
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Speed is expected to be the central theme of the case because authorities have said there were no drugs, alcohol or cell phone use involved in the Sunday morning crash.
Assistant prosecutor Matthew Murphy is representing the state in the case.
At 10:22 a.m. on Jan. 4, authorities were dispatched to the area of Millstone River Road, just north of the Blackwells Mill Road causeway, on a report of collision involving two motor vehicles, authorities said.
Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Murphy. (File photo) Kulgod was driving a 2015 Ford Focus and crossed into the northbound lane of Millstone River Road and struck a 1991 BMW 525i being driven by 50-year-old Nancy Louie, authorities said. Louie, who was wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene from injuries sustained during the collision, authorities said.
Louie's passenger, her daughter, Melissa Louie, 20, and Kulgod were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, authorities said. Melissa sustained minor injuries. Kulgod was uninjured.
Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano has said that "excessive speed was the proximate cause of the collision."
If convicted of vehicular homicide, Kulgod faces a sentence of between 5 and 10 years with 85 percent served before he's eligible for parole. He would also be under parole supervision for three years following his release.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.