NORTH HUDSON – Eric Patterson, 23, of Jersey City, the alleged driver of the car that struck and killed two teens on Kennedy Boulevard and injured another, tested positive for PCP, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez.
A press release on the prosecutor’s site reads, in part, “A review of toxicological reports indicate that Patterson tested positive for phencyclidine, commonly referred to as PCP, a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance, shortly after the fatal crash.”
As a result, Patterson was additionally charged with two counts of first degree aggravated manslaughter. He had already been charged with two counts of death by auto in the second degree and one count of assault by auto in the fourth degree, as well as speeding, reckless driving and driving on a suspended license.
Patterson is alleged to have struck and killed Bryan Rodriguez, 17, and Noel Herrera, 17 on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at approximately 9:15 p.m. while travelling at a high rate of speed on Kennedy Boulevard.
While initial plans called for a joint ceremony and burial for the two victims killed in the crash, Herrera will now be buried on Saturday morning. There will be a viewing on Friday, March 11 from 5 to 10 p.m. at Jorge Rivera Funeral Home, 4543 Kennedy Blvd. in North Bergen.
No information has been released yet on Rodriguez’s services as his family is still waiting for relatives to arrive.
To contribute to funeral expenses for the two slain students, visit https://www.gofundme.com/6jsz35yc.
For more information on the tragic accident, read this weekend’s North Bergen Reporter.
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