Driver in Collision with County Detective Gets $378 in Fines

A Marlton woman pleaded guilty to two of four Municipal Court charges stemming from a car accident that killed Tina Rambo, an Ocean County detective.

Rachel Portnoy, 24, pleaded guilty in Southampton Municipal Court in Burlington County on Wednesday to charges of overtaking and passing vehicles and driving an unregistered vehicle and has to pay $378 in fines and court costs, said Terry Bodine, Municipal Court administrator.

Rambo died from injuries sustained in the accident, leaving behind her husband, Roy Rambo, and two young boys, who were 3 and 6 years old at the time

Portnoy pleaded guilty in court "with civil reservations" to overtaking and passing vehicles, which means the guilty plea cannot be used against her in a civil proceeding, Bodine said. For that charge, she was fined $206 plus $33 in court costs.

She also pleaded guilty to driving an unregistered vehicle and was fined $106, plus $33 in court costs.

Portnoy pleaded not guilty to "failure to obey regulations in a marked lane" and "reckless driving" and both charges "were dismissed at the prosecutor's discretion," Bodine said.

The state police had originally investigated the incident, then referred it to the Burlington County Prosecutor's office, which concluded there was no evidence to file criminal charges, said Joel Bewley, public information officer for the Burlington County Prosecutor's office.

Rambo, who had lived and graduated from high school in Toms River, was living in Marlton with her family.