Old Bridge Man Killed By Alleged Drunk Driver: New Info. Released

TOMS RIVER, NJ — New details have been released in the Feb. 8 death of an Old Bridge man, who was hit and killed in Toms River by a young woman who police say was driving drunk.

James Cruz, 62, of the Parlin section of Old Bridge, was hit at 10:26 p.m. as he took a package out of the trunk of his car on Bay Avenue, according to an affidavit of the incident obtained by Patch.

Cruz was in Toms River delivering a package.

Ashley Beams, 31, of Toms River has been charged with aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide, strict liability vehicular homicide plus driving while intoxicated.

The Ocean County Prosecutor said her blood-alcohol level was 0.321 percent, which is four times the legal limit. In New Jersey, a person is considered legally intoxicated with 0.08 percent blood alcohol content.

According to the affidavit, Beams told police she wanted to get some take-out and headed to the Toms River TGI Fridays at about 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 8. While waiting for her order, she drank a Long Island iced tea. She then had three Tito's vodka on the rocks after that.

The young woman then got her food and headed home, the affidavit said. All four drinks were consumed in the span of about 41 minutes.

That was when she hit and killed Cruz. Cruz was stopped on Bay Avenue to deliver a package, with the hazard lights flashing on his Kia Sorrento.

When he was hit, he actually became pinned between his car and her's, and Cruz remained pinned between the two cars as Beams continued 96 feet down the street before coming to a stop, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Beams remained at the scene. She was also injured. She was arrested Feb. 16 and charged with the crimes.

Authorities said people "close to" Beams said she had "struggled with an alcohol addiction for several years," the affidavit said.

She was arrested previously on a charge of driving while intoxicated; in 2014, Beams was arrested in Lacey after police were called to a dispute at a Forked River home, Lacey police said.

Friends of Cruz set up a GoFundMe campaign to help his family with his funeral service.

Originally reported by Karen Wall/Toms River Patch

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