48°
The crash happened at 10:58 p.m., when a white BMW speeding at 118 mph collided with a Toyota Camry at the intersection of Route 37 and Route 166, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
The Toms River Township Police Department initially spotted the BMW speeding eastbound over the Thomas A. Mathis Bridge around 10:45 p.m., Billhimer said. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to pull over and continued north on Route 35 at high speeds, prompting police to end the pursuit for safety reasons, officials stated.
Shortly after, Seaside Heights Police observed the same BMW heading southbound at 118 mph in a 35-mph zone, Billhimer said. Officers tracked the vehicle as it crossed the J. Stanley Tunney Bridge, but again did not pursue for safety concerns, authorities said. Moments later, at 10:58 p.m., the BMW crashed into a Toyota Camry at Route 37 and Route 166, officials said.
The driver and front-seat passenger of the Toyota Camry were pronounced dead at the scene, Billhimer said. Their identities have not been released.
Two backseat passengers in the Toyota sustained severe injuries and were transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) in Neptune, where they remain in critical condition, Billhimer stated.
The BMW driver was uninjured and was detained by police, officials said. A front-seat passenger in the BMW was treated at JSUMC and released, while a backseat passenger was treated at Community Medical Center in Toms River and released, according to Billhimer.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit - Vehicular Homicide Squad and Toms River Township Police Department determined that the BMW driver was a juvenile who did not have a valid New Jersey driver’s license, Billhimer said.
A court-authorized blood draw was conducted at Community Medical Center, and the results are pending, officials said.
The juvenile was charged with:
- Four counts of aggravated assault causing bodily injury while eluding
- Two counts of death by auto
- Two counts of causing death while driving unlicensed
- Two counts of causing injury while driving unlicensed
- Two counts of aggravated assault manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life
- Eluding
- Four counts of assault by auto
The juvenile remains detained at the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center, Billhimer said.
Billhimer praised the efforts of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit - Vehicular Homicide Squad, Toms River Township Police Department, Seaside Heights Police Department, Lavallette Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit in handling the case.
Editor's note: A previous version of this news story wrongly included a photo of a defendant who was uninvolved in this incident. The photo has been update for accuracy.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Rahway and receive free news updates.
