Prosecutor: Man Charged with Aggravated Assault in DWI-Related March Accident

An Ocean County man has been arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault in connection with an allegedly alcohol-fueled March accident that left a woman and her son injured in Wall Township, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago and Wall Township Police Chief Sean O’Halloran jointly announced on Thursday.

Kevin Christian, 41, of Seaside Heights, has been charged with second- and third-degree aggravated assault in the incident.

The case background …

At approximately 8 p.m. on Friday, March 17, Wall Township police responded to a two-vehicle collision on Route 138 East, in the area of the on- and off-ramps for Route 18.

There, the officers found the two involved vehicles: a van driven by Christian and an SUV driven by a 44-year-old female resident of Toms River. Both drivers and the woman’s 9-year-old son, who had sustained a serious head injury, were then taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.

An investigation conducted by the Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team (SCART), the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit, and the Wall Township Police Department revealed that Christian had been driving southbound on the Route 18 off-ramp onto Route 138 eastbound when he lost control of his vehicle, careened across a grass median, and collided with the SUV.

The investigation also determined that Christian’s blood-alcohol level was more than triple the legal limit at the time of the crash.

It was also discovered that Christian was operating the vehicle with a suspended license. In addition to the criminal charges against him, he was issued summonses for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license, delaying traffic, and failure to maintain a lane, all motor vehicle offenses.

Christian was arrested by Wall police on Wednesday, June 7, with the assistance of Neptune police, and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) pending an initial appearance and detention hearing to take place in Monmouth County Superior Court.

This case is being prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Cummings of the Major Crimes Bureau.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or may have information pertaining to this matter is still being asked to contact MCPO Detective Brian Boryszewski at 800-671-4400 or Wall Township Police Department Capt. Chad Clark or Sgt. Andrew Baldino at 732-449-4500.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office