Tragic Incident: Pedestrian Killed by Impaired Driver in South Toms River
Seaside Heights Implements Beach Closures After Drowning Incident
August 12, 2025
Impending Hurricane Threat: What New Jersey Needs to Know
August 12, 2025Tragic Incident: Pedestrian Killed by Impaired Driver in South Toms River
Tragic Incident: Pedestrian Killed by Impaired Driver in South Toms River
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office stated Monday that a man in South Toms River killed a lady on June 7 after hitting her while high on marijuana.
On June 7, 2025, at approximately 3:50 a.m., Officers from the South Toms River Police Department responded to a residence on Colgate Drive for a report of an individual having been struck by a motor vehicle.
Responding Officers discovered Ms. Bellavista deceased in the roadway. An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad and South Toms River Police Department determined that Tremel Haskins, 41, of South Toms River, was operating the cab of a Volvo semi-truck when he struck the victim.
Haskins then drove away from the scene. Detectives located Haskins and the semi-truck in the parking lot of the Walmart store on Route 37 in Toms River. Haskins was taken into custody without incident and initially charged with the motor vehicle offenses of Driving While Intoxicated, Careless Driving, Operating a Vehicle Without Insurance, and Operating an Unregistered Vehicle.
In furtherance of the investigation, Haskins was transported to Community Medical Centerin Toms River where a draw of his blood was obtained pursuant to a court-authorized warrant.
On June 9, 2025, Detectives executed a court-authorized search warrant on the Volvo truck. As a result, Detectives seized a loaded .38 caliber Colt revolver.
Further investigation revealed that Haskins had two prior convictions for Distribution of Narcotics – making him a certain person never to lawfully possess a firearm. As a consequence, on June 17, 2025, Haskins was charged with being a Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.
On that same date, Haskins surrendered himself to South Toms River Police Headquarters. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail and subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.
Laboratory results relative to the draw of Haskins’ blood - received by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit - revealed that Haskins had an Active THC (marijuana) level of 14 nanograms (ng) with a Metabolite THC level of 100 ng, indicating that Haskins was a recent, active user of marijuana at the time of the crash, and that he could not safely operate a motor vehicle.
On July 31, 2025, a warrant was issued for Haskins’ arrest, and his name was entered into the National Crime Information Center database. On August 11, 2025, Haskins was taken into custody by Officers from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail where he is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.
