NEW BRUNSWICK — A Plainsboro man was sentenced today to serve three years in a New Jersey state prison for causing a drunk-driving crash in which one of his passengers was killed nearly a year ago, Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan announced.
Rohit Maddineni, 26, also was told that he must serve 85 percent of the sentence before he can be released on parole for causing the death of Pavan Gottumukala, 25, of Edison on March 31, 2012.
The sentence was imposed during a hearing at the Middlesex County Courthouse before Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz.
Once he is released from custody, the defendant will be placed on parole for three years.
Maddineni was sentenced to the term after he pleaded guilty on Nov. 16, 2012, to a count of vehicular homicide.
Maddineni initially agreed to plead guilty in return for a prison sentence of six years under a plea agreement reached with Middlesex County Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Christopher L. C. Kuberiet. But Ferencz reduced the term to three years.
Maddineni was charged during an investigation by Officer Gene Rickle of the South Brunswick Police Department and Investigator Scott Crocco of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation showed Maddineni had been drinking before driving Gottumukala, a rear-seat passenger, and a 25-year-old female passenger, who was seated in the front passenger side of the vehicle.
The investigation began after police were alerted to a car crash at 3:41 a.m. near 215 Dey Road in South Brunswick.
Upon arriving, police determined Maddineni, who was heading toward Plainsboro, lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a utility pole. Mr. Gottumukala was ejected from the vehicle.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Maddineni and the female passenger were taken to the hospital and were treated for minor injuries. The female passenger’s name was not released.
