An Ocean County Grand Jury has indicted 18-year-old Abel Mathukutty of Lake Hiawatha on multiple charges in connection with a May 24 motor vehicle crash in Toms River that left one person dead and another seriously injured.
The indictment charges Mathukutty with Vehicular Homicide, Assault by Auto, Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Crash Causing Death, and Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Crash Causing Serious Bodily Injury.
According to investigators, the crash occurred at approximately 7:25 p.m. on Route 37 eastbound. Police and emergency crews responding to the scene found a white Mercedes sedan that had struck a utility pole. The driver, 59-year-old Deborah Barone of Toms River, and her passenger, 64-year-old Michael Barone, both suffered serious injuries. Deborah Barone was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where she died from her injuries. Michael Barone was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, treated, and later released.
A joint investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit–Vehicular Homicide Squad, the Toms River Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that an Infiniti sedan struck the Mercedes on the driver’s side, causing it to crash into the utility pole. Authorities say the Infiniti fled the scene and continued eastbound over the Thomas A. Mathis Bridge.
At approximately 8:00 p.m., Seaside Park police officers stopped a vehicle matching the suspect description. Officers noted heavy passenger-side damage and deployed airbags. The vehicle was confirmed to be involved in the earlier crash, and Mathukutty was identified as the driver. He was taken into custody without incident and initially charged with leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death and serious bodily injury. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail and later released under New Jersey’s bail reform guidelines.
Further investigation revealed that Mathukutty’s vehicle was traveling at 76 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone at the time of the collision. Based on this evidence, authorities added charges of Vehicular Homicide and Assault by Auto on June 11, 2025. Mathukutty was served with the new charges at Toms River Township Police Headquarters and released pending future court appearances in Ocean County Superior Court.