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Julius Filep had gotten out of his disabled car after it struck debris scattered across the highway when a sleeping driver slammed into a utility pole on the northbound side shortly after 3:30 a.m. Aug. 1, 2021, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said.
A third vehicle, as well as an 18-wheel truck, drove over the debris, igniting fiery, arching electrical wires, the attorney general said.
East Brunswick officers were dispatched to the southbound side after getting 911 calls from Filep and other motorists, Platkin said.
Officer Mitchell Ngai was headed north on Route 18 when his vehicle hit a wooden pole in the roadway, the attorney general said.
The officer's car then hit Filep – who was standing in the fast lane wearing a black shirt and black shorts in an area not illuminated by street lights -- before slamming into the sleeping driver’s crashed vehicle, the attorney general said.
“Emergency medical personnel rendered aid to Mr. Filep, who was transported by ambulance to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 4:13 a.m.,” Platkin said.
State law and his own guidelines require Platkin to investigate any and all police-involved civilian deaths no matter the circumstances.
The guidelines guarantee that the investigation is done “in a full, impartial and transparent manner."
The process requires a presentation to a grand jury -- ordinarily consisting of 16 to 23 citizens -- following an investigation by his Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA).
It also includes publicly releasing all audio and video related to the incident.
CLICK HERE for the recordings from the fatal crash.
“The investigation included interviews of witnesses, review of video footage from both a local business establishment as well from a citizen’s dash camera, event data recorder for the police vehicle, multiple 9-1-1 calls, radio transmissions, and autopsy results from the medical examiner,” Platkin said.
The grand jurors, after hearing the testimony and evidence, concluded deliberations on Monday, July 24, with a “no bill” vote – meaning no charges should be filed, he said.
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