Driver Killed, Passengers Trapped in Toms River, NJ, Marsh

Get our free mobile app

TOMS RIVER — A vehicle flipped over into a marsh over the weekend, trapping three occupants and killing the driver as the other two were able to reach safety, authorities said.

Paolo Helfers-Lariva via Facebook

Toms River police said officers and emergency medical personnel were dispatched just before 2:30 AM Saturday to the scene on South Shore Drive and found the vehicle upside-down in the marsh “with the occupants trapped inside.”

Police said the two passengers were unhurt and managed to free themselves but 28-year-old Paolo Helfers-Lariva of Toms River “was trapped and submerged in the water.” He was eventually freed and taken to Community Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

Paolo Helfers-Lariva via Facebook

Police said the initial investigation indicates that the vehicle was heading south at high speed when it lost control and left the roadway, striking a pole before overturning in the marsh.

The accident remains under investigation.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Source: Driver Killed, Passengers Trapped in Toms River, NJ, Marsh

Categories: New Jersey News, News