Cops: Lavallette Man Charged With Vehicular Homicide, Was High When He Struck Pedestrian

Brian Kosanke (Photo: Ocean County Jail)

A Lavallette man who struck and killed a pedestrian in October has been charged with vehicular homicide as well as a slew of drug charges.

Lavallette police and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office issued a joint statement announcing the arrest of Brian Kosanke, 39, of Lavallette. According to police, Kosanke was driving north on Route 35 North at the intersection of Guyer Avenue at about 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19, when he hit Thomas Castronovo, 80, of Warren, who was crossing the intersection. Despite an immediate response from police and EMTs, Castronovo would later succumb to his injuries at Community Medical Center.

A blood sample that Kosanke voluntarily supplied revealed that he was under the influence of Xanax, cocaine, fentanyl and Gabapentin when he struck Castronovo, police said. A warrant was issued for Kosanke’s arrest and he was apprehended Thursday, Nov. 7. During the course of the arrest, officers allegedly found a quantity of Xanax on his person packaged for distribution.

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According to the statement, detectives also determined through surveillance camera footage that prior to police arriving on scene the night of the accident, Kosanke removed something from his vehicle. A further investigation revealed that Kosanke had taken an amount of heroin from his car and hid it on the side of the road, which he later retrieved after he was released from the hospital after supplying the blood sample.

Kosanke is currently lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.