Driver High In Crash That Killed Nurse, Daughter In Freehold: Police

FREEHOLD, NJ — An Ocean County man, who police say was high at the time of a crash that killed a mother and her 3-year-old daughter in July in Freehold Township, has been charged, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Friday.

Thomas F. Polson, 53, of Little Egg Harbor, was arrested on two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, one count of third-degree hindering apprehension, two counts of fourth-degree assault by auto and one count of fourth-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance, the prosecutor's office said.

The charges stem from a three-vehicle fatal crash that took place on Thursday, July 14 at around 5 p.m. in the area of Siloam Road and Old Turkey Swamp Road in Freehold Township.

The investigation revealed that Polson’s Ford F350 pickup truck left the southbound lane of Siloam Road and struck the Honda CR-V SUV, driven by a 34-year-old man Jackson Township, with a glancing blow before colliding head-on with a Chrysler Pacifica minivan driven by Denise A. James, 42, of Ocean Township in Ocean County.

The investigation also revealed that Polson was driving his vehicle at the time of the fatal crash while under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance, the prosecutor's office said.

Denise James was pronounced dead at the scene and her 3-year-old daughter was taken via medical helicopter to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where she later succumbed to her injuries, the prosecutor's office said.

The other two children in the mini-van, sons ages 9 and 13, were also taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center for treatment and were later released.

A fundraising site for the family that was established at the time of the accident said the name of the little girl was Lily. Lily died on the Sunday after the accident, the prosecutor's office confirmed at the time.

The New Jersey Superior Officers Law Enforcement Association organized the fundraiser for the James family, said union President Edward Sullivan. Lt. Craig James is a corrections police lieutenant, assigned in a management role at the Avenel Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Sullivan said at the time.

Sullivan said at the time he was touched by the comments about Denise James on the fundraiser.

From what people have said, he learned that Denise James was a nurse who "had a significant impact on people's lives," he said.

Members of the Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Freehold Township Police Department investigated the accident.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has any information about it is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office Detective Nicolas Logothetis at 800-533-7443 or Freehold Township Police Department Patrolman Justin Nunno at 732-294-5139.

Polson was in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold, pending a first appearance and detention hearing to take place in Monmouth County Superior Court.

Convictions of this nature on second-degree criminal charges are commonly punishable by up to 10 years in a state prison and are subject to the provisions of the No Early Release Act, the prosecutor's office said, requiring a defendant to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole.

The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Bogner, director of the Major Crimes Bureau. Polson is represented by William J. Rush of Carlstadt.