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Charles Sharkey Jr., 35, was sentenced to 20 years in state prison on Friday, Dec. 20, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. He was given two 10-year sentences that will run consecutively.
Sharkey previously pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and certain person not to possess a firearm. He was charged in a crash at around 4 p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 23, 2023.
Investigators said Sharkey was driving a 2022 Dodge Ram 1500 east on Route 70 when he failed to stop at a red light. The pickup grazed the back of a 2016 Honda CR-V heading west on Route 70 and trying to turn left onto Massachusetts Avenue.
Sharkey then struck a 2017 Subaru Impreza that was also turning left onto Massachusetts. The Subaru was pushed backward and spun around clockwise, while the Dodge overturned, caught fire, and landed on the driver's side. A 2021 Lexus RX 350 was grazed and had minor damage in the crash.
The man driving the Subaru and three children were brought to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. The driver and two kids with minor injuries were released, while a third child with serious injuries was later brought to a rehabilitation facility before returning home to recover.
According to investigators, Sharkey was driving erratically and used a cellphone right before the crash. He also had a suspended driver’s license and two active arrest warrants.
Prosecutors said the Dodge Ram was a rental taken without the renter's consent. Sharkey was arrested at the crash scene and brought to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus for his injuries.
Detectives got a warrant to draw a sample of Sharkey’s blood at the Lakewood hospital. Laboratory results determined he was under the influence of meth during the crash.
Less than two weeks before the crash, Jackson Township police discovered Sharkey passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle on North County Line Road on Sunday, Mar. 12, 2023. Investigators said he was under the influence of "an intoxicant" and he was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Sharkey was found with a .22-caliber gun when he was first arrested. He was brought to the Ocean County Jail and released on bail.
For the aggravated assault charge, Sharkey must serve at least 8 1/2 years before being eligible for parole under the No Early Release Act. He also must serve five years before getting parole eligibility for the gun charge, which will begin after the assault sentence ends.
Sharkey has been held in the county jail since he was brought there after the crash.
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