A woman is facing multiple criminal charges in a motor vehicle crash that left a child who was riding in her car, as well as another driver, dead.
Sorah Tyner, 37, of Toms River, was arrested on Thursday. She is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, assault by auto, hindering and obstruction, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release.
The crash happened on May 30 around 5 p.m., when Tyner’s minivan was attempting to navigate a left-hand curve on East Veterans Highway in Jackson. The van then crossed into the oncoming lane and struck an SUV, officials said.
The driver of the SUV, Carolina Bonilla-Hernandez, 36, of Jackson, was pronounced dead at the hospital, authorities said.
Two minors were passengers in Tyner’s van at the time of the crash. One of the children was pronounced dead at the hospital and the other remains hospitalized in stable condition, prosecutors said.
Investigators later found that the van was in the oncoming lane for a distance prior to the crash and that the deceased child was not in a child car seat, despite being legally required to be in one based on his age and weight, officials said.
A search of Tyner’s cell phone later determined that she was using the device at the time of the crash and that she previously made inconsistent statements to law enforcement, authorities said.
Tyner is being held at Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing. Her attorney information was not immediately available.
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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
