3 Now Charged In Fatal 118-MPH Route 37 Crash In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Two passengers in the white BMW in a 118 mph crash on Route 37 that killed a young Toms River couple in March have now been charged in connection with the crash.

Ryan Rivera, 18, of Toms River, and Jake M. Beauchamp, 20, of Barnegat, each have been charged with two counts of aggravated manslaughter, two counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated assault causing bodily injury with fleeing, eluding, hindering prosecution — suppressing evidence, and obstruction, according to the Ocean County Corrections website.

The two were passengers in the white BMW driven by Carlos D. Martinez, 18, who has been charged as driving the BMW on Route 37 at the time it ran the red light at Route 166 on March 7 and hit the Toyota Camry, killing Evan Fiore, 23, and Kiley Armstrong, 21, and severely injuring Kiley's twin sister, Krista, and Krista's boyfriend, Ryan Chapman, 19, authorities say.

The charges against Rivera and Beauchamp were revealed during the detention hearing of Martinez on Thursday afternoon before Ocean County Superior Court Judge Kenneth D. Palmer.

Martinez, who turned 18 on June 28, was ordered held until trial on the charges he faces in the crash. He initially was charged as a juvenile but was charged in adult court on June 25. He faces 21 counts in the crash that happened after a 16-minute high-speed trip on Route 37 to Route 35 and back that ended in the crash as the trio fled from police.

Martinez agreed to have the case tried in adult court, his attorney, Carlos Diaz-Cobo said Monday. He has been in the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Facility since his arrest immediately after the crash.

During the detention hearing, Assistant Prosecutor Travis Clark from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office argued Martinez should continue to be held because the March 7 incident was not the first time he had been driving recklessly while not having a license. Clark said Martinez had been stopped two weeks earlier because he was speeding, and two days before the crash posted a video on Snapchat showing him driving a BMW, revving the engine and driving fast. That video was shown during the detention hearing.

Also presented during the detention hearing was video of the crash, showing the 2014 white BMW running the red light and hitting Fiore's Camry, sending debris into the air and the two vehicles spinning. A second video, from the dash camera of a Toms River police vehicle, shows the driver get out of the BMW and walk away from the car, as the Camry rests on its side, smoke rising from the car.

Diaz-Cobo argued that it is questionable that the person who got out of the car is his client, Martinez, because evidence presented by the prosecution during the detention hearing indicated Beauchamp had been driving at the start of the incident.

Palmer, in ordering Martinez be held, said his decision was based in part on "the level of disregard (for law enforcement)" and "the level of brazenness and level of reckless and disruptive behavior" demonstrated by Martinez in getting behind the wheel and driving at high speed with the headlights off and having been drinking alcohol.

Martinez had a blood alcohol content level of 0.088 percent when his blood was drawn about 2 a.m., three hours after the crash, prosecutors said.

Diaz-Cobo said Martinez would have stayed with his mother and sisters, and was willing to wear an ankle monitor, but Palmer said he believed no amount of monitoring conditions would be sufficient to ensure Martinez showed up to court because of the attitude the trio demonstrated toward the police and because of the stiff potential sentences he faces.

Martinez's next court date is set for Aug. 7, Palmer said.

Previous reporting:

• 2 Die In Route 37 Crash In Toms River As Unlicensed Teen Drove 118 MPH: Prosecutor
• Support Pours In For Families Of Victims In Fatal Route 37 Crash In Toms River
• 'Always Together': Route 37 Crash Victims Were Planning Futures, Families Say
• Funeral Set For 'Inseparable' Couple Killed In Route 37 Crash In Toms River
• Community Envelopes Families Of Couple Killed In Route 37 Crash
• Teen Driver To Be Tried As Adult In Route 37 Crash That Killed Couple: Report
• Driver In Fatal Route 37 Crash In Toms River Was Urged To Stop, Passenger Claims