Not-guilty plea entered in fatal accident
Police say suspect's blood-alcohol level was .159 when 18-year-old killed
BY CHRIS MURINO Staff Writer
ASomerset woman pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault at the state Superior Court in New Brunswick on Jan. 2.

Kimberly Green, 32, was charged for running a red light and slamming into a car that was occupied by Kylie Pinheiro, 18, of Dayton, who was killed in the motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Route 1 north and Blackhorse Lane on Dec. 28 just before 3 a.m., according to police. Toxicology reports showed that Green had a blood alcohol content of .159, which is almost twice the legal limit of .08, according to Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Nicholas Sewitch. He also said "excessive speed" was listed as a probable cause of the accident.

Green stared at the ground and walked gingerly to her seat as she was led into the courtroom. Moments after she entered the room, members of her family could be seen in tears.

After her lawyer, Steve Altman, entered the plea of not guilty to Judge Joseph L. Rea, Green exited the courtroom in tears, saying that she could not breathe.

"She received severe trauma to her sides, which is why she is having trouble breathing," Altman said.

Her knees were also injured during the accident.

Green faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for the manslaughter charge and 10 years for each of the two assault charges, based on injuries to two of Kylie's cousins who were in the vehicle at the time. Heather Pinheiro, 20, was driving the vehicle and had serious injuries and her sister, Melissa Pinheiro, 21, was in the back seat of the vehicle and underwent surgery at a local hospital. Both South Brunswick residents are in satisfactory condition, according to police. Kylie was pronounced dead at the scene around 3:33 a.m.

Kylie was born in New Brunswick but resided in Dayton all of her life. She was a graduate of South Brunswick High School, where she was active on the school's soccer and swim teams. She was a four-year varsity member of the swim team and was a certified lifeguard.

Kylie was a freshman at High Point University in North Carolina; she was on winter break and home for the holidays at the time of the accident. She was a volunteer for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters while at college.

Kylie was an only child. Bail for Green has been set at $200,000.