Marie Jean pleaded guilty today to a disorderly persons offense and will not serve any jail time
Marie Jean, 45, of Ewing, was the secon person to be charged in the hit-and-run death of a Trenton man who was struck by two vehicles Oct. 28, authorities said today EWING — A Ewing woman admitted today that she misled police at the scene of a fatal hit-and-run accident in 2011 in exchange for a plea deal that will spare her from serving jail time.
Marie Jean, 54, was on her way to work on Parkside Avenue in Ewing on at 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 28, 2011, when she struck a man who was laying in the roadway. Jean's car was the second vehicle to strike Carl Wilkins, 54, of Trenton, who died at the scene.
Jean and the driver of the other car, Laura Gallagher, were initially charged with death by auto and leaving the scene of an accident. Gallagher, who fled the scene, pleaded guilty Wednesday and in a deal that calls for a five-year prison sentence.
Jean, however, stopped her car immediately after it struck Wilkins. She said in court today that she was unaware at the time that she had struck a person and believed she had run over a helmet.
When an officer investigating crash arrived, Jean denied being involved with striking Wilkins and she did not tell the officer she believed she had struck anything, Jean said today. As a result, the officer told Jean she could leave.
Jean pleaded guilty to a disorderly persons offense of obstructing law enforcement because she did not tell the officer that she had hit something. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the death by auto and leaving the scene of an accident charge.
Wilkins’ family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jean and Gallagher.
CONNECT WITH US:
On mobile or desktop:
• Like Times of Trenton on Facebook
• Follow @TimesofTrenton on Twitter