Bridgewater Man, Retired Cop Indicted On Vehicular Homicide

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — New criminal charges have been filed against a Bridgewater man and retired Mountainside Police Officer in connection with fatally hitting a runner while intoxicated in Raritan in September 2020.

A Somerset County Grand Jury issued an indictment charging Kevin D. Betyeman, now 56, of Maple Street in Bridgewater Township, with second-degree reckless vehicular homicide, third-degree strict liability vehicular homicide, and two charges of third-degree hindering apprehension or prosecution, said Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson.

The indictment alleges that Betyeman's blood-alcohol concentration was above the legal limit of 0.08% BAC several hours after the collision. The two counts of third-degree hindering apprehension are based on allegations that Betyeman denied, separately to two police officers, having consumed any alcohol, said Robertson.

Betyeman's blood-alcohol concentration was not released.

If convicted of second-degree reckless vehicular homicide, Betyeman could face five to 10 years in State Prison with 85 percent to be served without parole eligibility pursuant to the No Early Release Act.

The accident happened on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020 at around 3:33 p.m., when Celeste Andresen, 60, of San Manuel, Ariz., was out for a run. She stopped at a designated pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Woodmere Street in an attempt to cross over Old York Road, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Team.

A vehicle driving west on Old York Road and a vehicle coming south on Woodmere Street both reportedly stopped to allow Andresen to cross. When Andresen was about three-quarters of the way across the roadway she was hit a 2018 Chevy Silverado driven by Betyeman, Robertson said.

Andresen was crossing in a painted crosswalk and pedestrian crossing signs were present when she was hit.

Betyeman was previously charged by Raritan Police for driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving, and failure to yield to a pedestrian.

Most recently on Feb. 8, Beyteman was charged again for driving while intoxicated in Raritan where he was found parked in the middle of the Quick Chek parking lot and not in a parking space. Read More: Bridgewater Man, Retired Cop Charged Again With DUI In Raritan

Betyeman had previously served with the Mountainside Police Department for 25 years before retiring in July 2019. Read More: Bridgewater Man Charged In Fatal DWI Crash Is Ex-Cop: Officials

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