Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on March 7, 2026, at approximately 11:05 p.m., Officers from the Toms River Township Police Department responded to the area of Lakewood Road and Whitty Road for a report of a motor vehicle crash. Subsequent investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad and Toms River Township Police Department revealed that a Volkswagen Jetta was traveling southbound on Lakewood Road when it struck a guardrail on the passenger side – causing it to lose control and collide head-on with a Honda Accord that was traveling northbound on Lakewood Road. The driver of the Honda was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River where she was pronounced deceased. The driver of the Volkswagen was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries; he is presently listed in stable condition.
Responding Officers at the scene observed that the driver of the Volkswagen appeared to be impaired. As such, in furtherance of the investigation, a court-authorized draw of his blood was taken at the hospital.
The crash remains under investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Toms River Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.