South Toms River Man Was High When He Hit, Killed Pedestrian, Prosecutor Says

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A South Toms River man was high on marijuana when he hit and killed a woman on June 7 in South Toms River, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Monday.

Tremel D. Haskins, 41, has been charged with vehicular homicide in the death of Marie Bellavista, 57, of South Toms River, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. He also has been charged with weapons offenses after a loaded .38-caliber handgun was found in his truck, the prosecutor's office said.

South Toms River police were called to Colgate Drive about 3:50 a.m. on June 7 for a report of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle and found Bellavista's body in the road, authorities said.

Investigators determined Haskins was driving the cab of a Volvo semi-truck and hit Bellavista, then drove away from the scene, authorities said.

Detectives found Haskins and the semi-truck in the parking lot of the Walmart store on Route 37 in Toms River, and arrested him. He initially was charged with the motor vehicle offenses of driving while intoxicated, careless driving, operating a vehicle without insurance, and operating an unregistered vehicle, authorities said.

Haskins was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River where a draw of his blood was obtained under a court-authorized warrant, authorities said.

Laboratory results of that draw delivered recently to the prosecutor's office showed Haskins had an active THC (marijuana) level of 14 nanograms (ng) with a metabolite THC level of 100 ng, the prosecutor's office said. Those levels indicate "Haskins was a recent, active user of marijuana at the time of the crash, and that he could not safely operate a motor vehicle," authorities said.

On June 9, detectives searched the Volvo truck under a court-authorized search warrant and found and seized a loaded .38-caliber Colt revolver, authorities said. Haskins has two prior convictions for narcotics distribution and as such he is not permitted to have any firearms, the prosecutor's office said. He was charged June 17 with being a certain person not to possess a weapon and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Haskins surrendered himself to South Toms River Police Headquarters on June 9 and taken to the Ocean County Jail, but he was subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform, the prosecutor's office said.

After the prosecutor's office received the lab results of his blood draw, a warrant was issued on July 31 for Haskins’ arrest, and his name was entered into the National Crime Information Center database.

He was arrested Monday by officers from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office and taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he is being held pending a detention hearing, authorities said.