Man Charged In Toms River Jeep Hit-Run

by Karen Wall

TOMS RIVER, NJ -- A man has been arrested in connection with a red Jeep Cherokee that was sought in a hit-and-run crash that happened overnight Sunday in Toms River, police said Thursday.

Michael A. Dymond, 21, who has addresses on Commonwealth Boulevard in Manchester and Tyler Drive in Toms River, has been charged in the crash and additionally with possession of suboxone paraphernalia, said Ralph Stocco, spokesman for the Toms River Police Department.

“Once again we need to thank our local news outlets and social media followers for identifying a suspect in a recent hit-and-run crash,” Stocco said.

Dymond was found at the Wawa parking lot at 1166 Fischer Boulevard on Wednesday, Stocco said. A concerned citizen pulled into the Wawa about 8 a.m. and realized he was parked next to a vehicle that matched the description he saw on social media, Stocco said. The citizen immediately phoned the police and Traffic Officer Adam Koeppen responded, he said.

The crash occurred on Oak Ridge Parkway just north of Oakside Drive overnight Sunday, Stocco said Tuesday, when the Jeep slid off the road and into a driveway, hitting a 2013 Mazda that was parked in its own driveway.

The description of the wanted Jeep said it should have extensive damage to the passenger side: It “should be missing or have a severely damaged front bumper. It will also be missing a door handle, broken out rear passenger side window, as well as passenger side damage,” Stocco said, and some of the Jeep’s lights may have been spray-painted to achieve a “black out” look, he said.

Stocco said that as police approached Dymond, the officer observed him try and discard packets of suboxone on the ground.

As a result of the investigation regarding the crash Dynond was issued summonses for careless driving, failure to maintain lane, failure to report an accident, leaving the scene of an accident, as well as numerous equipment violations. Dymond was also arrested and charged with possession of suboxone paraphernalia, Stocco said.

(Photos provided by the Toms River Police Department)