Authorities ID victim killed in South Jersey crash after suspect fled police
Jose M. Martinez, 42, also known as José M. Martínez Peguero, was killed on Nov. 9 in West Deptford Township.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday identified Jose M. Martinez, 42, of Lindenwold, as the man killed in a crash caused after another man allegedly fled from police in West Deptford Township early last week.
Prosecutors also identified the police officer, West Deptford Police Patrolman Conor Goggin, involved in the attempted stop and the man, George Linard, 28, of Waltham Cross, a town north of London, England, who allegedly caused the crash. Linard initially had been identified by authorities with a different name.
On the evening of Nov. 9, Goggin was driving a marked police vehicle when he turned on his emergency lights in an attempt to stop a vehicle, prosecutors said.
Linard allegedly drove away at high speed and collided in the area of Hessian and Red Bank Avenues with a third vehicle driven by Martinez, who also was known as José M. Martínez Peguero, according to his funeral home obituary.
Martinez died and a passenger in the back seat sustained a leg fracture.
Linard, who also was injured in the crash, was charged with second-degree death by automobile, fourth-degree assault by automobile, and fourth-degree fraudulent possession of a government license.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said it also was investigating the crash, as required by state law, because a police officer was involved.