Charges Upgraded Against Toms River Man in Fatal Crash
LAKEWOOD – Charges against Martine Taylor Jr., 56, have been elevated to aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide following a deadly crash that claimed the life of 52-year-old Christine Kroliczak of Matawan on May 13, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.
Taylor, initially charged with causing death while driving with a suspended license, was found to be traveling between 94 and 98 mph with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .182 at the time of the incident, according to lab results. The legal limit is .08.
The crash occurred around 1:35 a.m. when a tractor-trailer driver reported hitting utility wires on Cedar Bridge Avenue near the Garden State Parkway overpass. Officers discovered a 2015 Nissan Altima upside down in a drainage ditch. Both Taylor and Kroliczak were trapped; Kroliczak was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.
Taylor sustained injuries and was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was treated and released. Authorities confirmed Taylor's driving privileges were suspended at the time of the crash.
The vehicle reportedly crossed into oncoming traffic, went airborne, and struck a tree before landing in the ditch.
Taylor was apprehended by Lakewood Township police on September 11 at a hotel in Toms River and is currently held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing. The investigation was conducted by the Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Lakewood Police, and the Ocean County Sheriff's Crime Scene Investigation Unit.