Alumni Soccer Game to Serve as Memorial to Jason Marles

Jason Marles will be remembered at the second annual Central Regional Alumni Soccer game, set for Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Eastern Boulevard soccer complex in Berkeley.

It was Thanksgiving morning 2010 that Ocean Gate Police Officer Marles, 32, who was returning to his Point Pleasant Beach home after working a drunken driving detail, was killed when the Jeep he was driving was rear-ended on the Garden State Parkway near the Toms River toll plaza. The driver of the BMW SUV that rear-ended him, Erick Uzcategui of Manchester, was drunk at the time of the accident. Uzcategui, 32, awaits trial on charges of vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Wednesday was the

Marles, who left behind two children – Taryn, 6, and Landon, 5 – was a Central Regional graduate who was one of the few freshmen ever to start on the varsity soccer team. His teammates and friends from the soccer community held a benefit game last year, with all the donations going to a college fund for his children. All of the players wore T-shirts emblazoned with Marles' uniform number, 18.

All the players donate $20 each to participate in the game, and spectators are encouraged to donate as well. All of the money goes to the children's college fund.

The game is open to the public.