2 Injured, Driver Charged With Assault By Auto After Toms River Crash

TOMS RIVER, NJ — An Ocean County man has been charged after two people were injured in a crash early Saturday on Bay Avenue in Toms River, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Monday.

Erick Perez-Ramirez, 40, of Jackson, has been charged with two counts of assault by auto in connection with the crash that happened about 4:45 a.m. Saturday on Bay Avenue near Ethan Court, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Viviana Arciniegas-Diaz, 33, and Maria Vega-Diaz, 33, both of Toms River, were taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment, Billhimer said. Both were listed as stable, he said.

The initial investigation found Perez-Ramirez was driving east in a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado on Bay Avenue when he failed to negotiate a right turn in the road, and instead left the road and hit a tree, authorities said.

Arciniegas-Diaz was sitting in the front seat and Vega-Diaz was sitting in the back seat, authorities said. Also in the back seat was William Rubiano, 31, of Toms River, they said.

Rubiano and Perez-Ramirez were not injured, authorities said.

The police officers who responded saw that Perez-Ramirez appeared to be intoxicated, and when they administered field sobriety tests, he failed them, authorities said.

Perez-Ramirez was charged with driving under the influence and arrested, and was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where his blood was drawn pursuant to a court-authorized warrant.

The results of the blood draw remain pending.

Perez-Ramirez is being held at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River pending a detention hearing, Billhimer said.