Toms River Man Charged After Car Flies 189 Feet In Fatal Lakewood Wreck

A late-night crash that turned Cedarbridge Avenue in Lakewood into a chaotic scene of destruction has left one woman dead and a Toms River man facing serious criminal charges.

Ocean County Prosecutor Brad Billhimer announced Tuesday that Martine Taylor, Jr., 56, has been charged with Causing Death While Driving with a Suspended License following a dramatic and fatal accident that unfolded in the early hours of Tuesday.

The incident began around 1:35 a.m., when police were alerted by a tractor trailer operator who reported having struck utility wires while driving eastbound on Cedar Bridge Avenue, just near the Garden State Parkway overpass. Responding officers quickly discovered that the damage went far beyond some hanging wires.

Just off the road, in a drainage ditch beside the eastbound lane, lay a 2015 Nissan Altima—upside down and mangled, having apparently flown nearly 190 feet through the air before crashing down in a devastating sequence of collisions.

Inside the wreckage, emergency responders found Taylor trapped in the driver’s seat, badly injured. Even more grim was the discovery of a 52-year-old female passenger, unresponsive and still buckled into the passenger seat. Despite efforts to revive her, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

An exhaustive investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Squad, the Lakewood Police Department, and County Sheriff’s CSI revealed that Taylor’s Altima had been traveling westbound on Cedar Bridge Avenue when it suddenly veered over the double yellow lines, entered the eastbound lane, launched off the roadway, and went airborne—twice. The car struck a utility pole mid-air, hit the ground, then became airborne again, ultimately crashing into a tree before coming to rest on its roof in the ditch.

Authorities later confirmed that Taylor’s driver’s license was suspended at the time of the crash. A blood sample was also obtained under court order as part of the ongoing investigation into whether impairment played a role.

Taylor has been charged at the hospital and will be taken into custody at the Ocean County Jail upon his discharge. Additional motor vehicle violations were issued in connection with the crash. A detention hearing will be scheduled.

The identity of the deceased passenger has not yet been released pending family notification.

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