Crime & Safety
'Goal Zero' Traffic Enforcement Honors 15th Anniversary Of Ocean County Officer's Death
Ocean Gate Officer Jason Marles was killed by a drunk driver on his way home to Point Pleasant Beach after a drunk driving shift in 2010.
OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — If you are headed out around Ocean County on Wednesday afternoon, pay attention to your driving: law enforcement officers will be out handing out tickets to drivers who don't obey traffic laws.
The "Goal: Zero" monthly traffic enforcement detail is happening from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and aims to address what the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office called a "staggering rise in traffic deaths in New Jersey."
As of Tuesday, there have been 517 traffic deaths in New Jersey this year, including 54 in Ocean County, according to the New Jersey State Police fatal crash database.
Find out what's happening in Point Pleasantfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Wednesday's enforcement detail is dedicated to the memory of Ocean Gate Police Officer Jason "Jay" Marles, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.
Marles was killed on Thanksgiving Eve 2010 following a drunk driving detail in Ocean Gate. His Jeep was hit from behind by a drunk driver as he headed north on the Garden State Parkway on his way home to Point Pleasant Beach.
Find out what's happening in Point Pleasantfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Read more: Ocean Gate Honors Memory of Officer Jason Marles
"Thanksgiving Eve historically sees a spike in impaired driving, aggressive driving, and crash-related injuries," Billhimer said. "As such, officers will be positioned at strategic locations — conducting targeted patrols focused on DUI enforcement, distracted driving, and other high-risk behaviors."
There will be "enhanced patrols across the county with a clear objective: zero fatalities, zero serious injuries, and zero impaired drivers on our roadways," Billhimer said.
Holmdel Township Patrolman Matt Menosky was the catalyst behind the 2024 Goal: Zero campaign, which brought together 36 municipalities to target dangerous driving behaviors. The bright green color of the Goal: Zero logo represents high visibility and is the color for pedestrian and school safety. The black bar is a mourning band for all lives lost in traffic crashes.
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