By:Yuritza Arroyo
Ocean County authorities announced a man has been arrested in connection with the death of a mother and her child from a fatal July crash in Freehold Township on Friday.
According to Ocean County officials, on Friday, December 16, Thomas F. Polson, 53, of Little Egg Harbor, was arrested on two counts of second-degree Vehicular Homicide, one count of third-degree Hindering Apprehension, two count of fourth-degree Assault by Auto and one count of fourth-degree Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance.
Officials say the charges stem from a fatal crash on Thursday, July 14.
At approximately 5 p.m, the Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team (SCART), the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Freehold Township Police Department responded to the area of Siloam Road and Old Turkey Swamp Road in Freehold Township.
According to authorities, first responders located the three vehicles involved in the collision: a Ford F350 pickup truck driven by a Polson, a Chrysler Pacifica minivan driven by Denise James,42, of Ocean Township (Ocean County), and a Honda CR-V SUV driven by a 34-year-old male resident of Jackson Township.
Authorities say James was pronounced deceased at the scene, and her 3-year-old child was transported via medical helicopter to Jersey ShoreUniversity Medical Center, where she later succumbed to her injuries. The other two children, ages 9 and 13, were also taken to Jersey Shore for treatment and were later released.
The subsequent investigation revealed that Polson’s pickup truck left the southbound lane of Siloam Road and struck the involved SUV with a glancing blow before colliding head-on with the minivan immediately thereafter.
The investigation also revealed that Polson was operating his vehicle during the fatal collision while under the influence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance.