Two men who rode in the white BMW that barreled through a red light at 118 mph on Route 37 in March, killing a young Toms River couple, have been indicted on multiple counts related to the high-speed wreck.
Eighteen-year-old Ryan Rivera of Toms River and 20-year-old Jake M. Beauchamp of Barnegat each now face two counts of aggravated manslaughter, two counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, aggravated assault causing bodily injury with fleeing and eluding, hindering prosecution by suppressing evidence, and obstruction, according to the Ocean County Corrections website. Their charges were unveiled Thursday during the detention hearing for the BMW’s driver, 18-year-old Carlos D. Martinez.
Martinez, who turned 18 on June 28, has already been charged in adult court with 21 counts—including two counts each of aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide—for allegedly racing officers on a 16-minute chase along Route 37 and Route 35 before slamming into a Toyota Camry at the Route 166 intersection on March 7. The Camry’s driver, 23-year-old Evan Fiore, and passenger, 21-year-old Kiley Armstrong, died at the scene. Armstrong’s twin sister, Krista, and her boyfriend, 19-year-old Ryan Chapman, survived with serious injuries.
During Thursday’s hearing before Judge Kenneth D. Palmer, Assistant Prosecutor Travis Clark detailed Martinez’s prior reckless behavior: a speeding stop two weeks before the crash and a Snapchat video, taken two days earlier, showing the driver flooring a BMW’s engine. Prosecutors also presented dash-cam footage of the March incident, in which the BMW, its headlights off, hurtles through the light and careens into the Camry before spilling debris and sending both cars spinning.
Defense attorney Carlos Diaz-Cobo argued that it was unclear who was driving at the moment of impact—Martinez or Beauchamp—and questioned whether video of a figure fleeing from the wrecked BMW definitively shows his client. Martinez’s blood-alcohol level was later measured at 0.088%, above New Jersey’s legal limit.
Judge Palmer ruled Martinez must remain jailed until trial, citing his “brazen” disregard for law enforcement and the severity of the potential sentences. Martinez’s next court appearance is scheduled for August 7.
Rivera and Beauchamp remain in custody pending their own detention hearings, as the investigation into the crash and ensuing chase continues.
Bring back the death penalty.