45°
Juan A. Fernandez II, 18, struck Intracoastal Waterway Marker #26 head-on while operating a 2014 Bennington Pontoon boat just before 1:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 13, state police said.
After meeting Toms River police and first responders at Antiqua Avenue following the crash, Fernandez allegedly stated that there had been six people on board.
However, a follow-up investigation showed that there had actually been nine occupants, three of whom were let off just before the crash, police said.
Meanwhile, two occupants were thrown from the boat during the crash.
Corey T. Molinari, 19, of Whippany, was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Four others were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Fernandez, of Towaco, was charged with second-degree vehicular homicide, strict liability homicide and hindering following a toxicology report using a blood sample from the morning of the crash.
He was arrested Wednesday in Boonton and processed at NJSP Tuckerton Station before being taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains held pending a bail detention hearing.
The investigation was led by the Troop “C” Criminal Investigation Office, the NJSP Crime Scene Investigations Unit and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Northern Highlands and receive free news updates.
