Authorities ID Freehold Woman Killed In Route 9 Crash

FREEHOLD, NJ — A Freehold woman has been identified as the victim of a head-on crash that took place on Route 9 in Toms River on Saturday night.

Shamirah Nolan, 37, died as a result of the crash that took place just after 11 p.m. on Saturday, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office confirmed to Patch on Thursday.

"Normally, we wouldn’t release the names of the victim or the suspect while the incident is under investigation," said Bryan Huntenburg, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

"But in this case, since the family put the name out there, I can confirm that Ms. Nolan was the victim," Huntenburg continued. "It is still under investigation."

Nolan was driving north on Route 9 about 11 p.m. Saturday in a Honda Accord when she was hit head-on by a Volkswagen Jetta after the Jetta hit a guardrail and veered into her lane, authorities said.

The driver of the Jetta, identified only as a man, was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center with injuries, according to the prosecutor's office.

Officers who responded to the crash said the man showed signs of impairment, authorities said. His blood was drawn under a court-approved search warrant at the hospital.

Blood testing in suspected impaired driving cases typically takes six weeks for results to be provided to law enforcement.

Nolan's family told the Asbury Park Press that she was a certified nursing assistant and was on her way to work at Complete Care at Bey Lea in Toms River at the time of the crash.

Nolan was known by the nickname "Shakie," her family told NJ.com.

She had lived in Freehold her entire life and has three daughters who are 17, 18 and 19. She loved being a mom, the family said.

"Her daughters were her pride and joy," the NJ.com report said. "She had a big personality and a big laugh, and she brought people together wherever she went."

Family members expressed frustration that the prosecutor's office had not released more information about the crash, including both Nolan's identity and the identity of the other driver.

They told both news outlets they want to advocate for Nolan and also remind others not to drive while impaired.

“We very much want to advocate not only for her, but other families so that they don’t have to go through what we’ve been going through in terms of losing a family member very tragically, very unexpectedly due to a preventable cause,” Nolan's cousin, Kayla Crooms, told the Asbury Park Press.

Previous Coverage

• Woman Dies From Head-On Crash On Route 9; DUI Suspected, Prosecutor Says