Morris County, NJ Teen Charged With Leaving Scene of Fatal Crash

A teenager is spending Memorial Day weekend in a jail cell after authorities said he left the scene of a fatal accident in Toms River Saturday evening.

Morris County Teenager Charged

18-year-old Abel Mathukutty of Lake Hiawatha, Morris County, has been charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash causing death and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash causing serious bodily injury.

Fatal Crash in Toms River

At about 7:25 Saturday evening, Toms River police officers were called to Route 37 eastbound for a report of a vehicle that had crashed into a utility pole.

The female driver of that vehicle, a Mercedes, and a male passenger were both seriously injured.

The two were taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River where the driver died from her injuries. The passenger was then transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where he was last reported to be in critical condition.

Ocean County Prosecutor's Office - Photo: TSM Illustration

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Crash Investigation

An investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies found that an Infinity had struck the Mercedes on its driver’s side, causing it to crash into the pole.

Officials said that Infinity then fled the scene and headed eastbound over the Mathis Bridge.

About 35 minutes later, Seaside Park officers stopped a vehicle matching that description.

Prosecutors said,

Officers noted that the vehicle had sustained heavy passenger side damage and that the airbags in the vehicle had been deployed. Continuing investigation revealed that this vehicle was, in fact, the same vehicle involved in the earlier crash, and that Mathukutty was operating the vehicle at the time of the crash.

Mathukutty was taken into custody at the scene without incident. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail where he is being held pending a detention hearing.