Marlboro resident indicted on charge of vehicular homicide

A Monmouth County Grand Jury has returned an indictment against a Marlboro man charged with the fatal 2014 motor vehicle collision that took the life of a 32-yearold Old Bridge man, Monmouth County Acting Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.

Robert A. Pennington, 51, is charged with one count of second degree vehicular homicide in connection with the fatal motor vehicle crash that claimed the life of Siva Kovvuri on Dec. 5, 2014.

According to the prosecutor, the fatal collision occurred shortly before midnight on Route 34 in Holmdel near the intersection of East Lawn Drive.

An investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response

Team and the Holmdel Police Department revealed Pennington was the sole occupant and driver of a 2008 Chrysler Town and County minivan traveling southbound on Route 34.

The second vehicle, a 2008 Hyundai Accent, operated by Kovvuri, was traveling north on Route 34.

As Pennington approached a slight curve in the road, he failed to properly negotiate the bend and continued straight, crossing the double yellow line and entering the opposing lane of traffic, striking the Hyundai head-on.

Kovvuri, who was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash, was pronounced dead at the scene. Pennington was transported to Bayshore Community Hospital, Holmdel, as a precaution and later released without injuries.

Further investigation by the prosecutor’s office and Holmdel police determined Pennington had spent several hours leading up to the fatal collision consuming beer at a gentleman’s club in Keyport. After the crash, a blood sample taken from Pennington determined he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.258 percent, more than three times the legal limit in New Jersey, according to the prosecutor.

Pennington is free following his arrest in December 2014 after posting bail in the amount of $100,000. If he is convicted of vehicular homicide, Pennington faces a sentence of five to 10 years in a state prison.