Impaired Driver Flees Multi-Vehicle Toms River Crash: Police

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Seaside Heights man has been charged with assault by auto and driving while impaired after he was tackled trying to run from a multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of Routes 166 and 37 on Wednesday, Toms River police said Thursday.

Kenneth J. Spinelli, 58, of Seaside Heights, was charged following the crash that happened shortly before 5:30 p.m., said Jillian Messina, media specialist for the Toms River Police Department.

Spinelli was driving west on Route 37 "at an extremely high rate of speed" when his vehicle left the road and drove up onto the sidewalk, then into the intersection at Route 166 through a red traffic signal, Messina said.

In the intersection, Spinelli's vehicle slammed into a vehicle that was headed north on Route 166. The force of the impact sent that vehicle into the southbound lanes of Route 166, where it hit two other vehicles that were waiting at a red signal, she said.

The driver of the vehicle Spinelli hit was taken to Community Medical Center for treatment of injuries suffered in the crash, Messina said.

After the crash, Spinelli got out and started to run, but Brian Quigley, a Franklin Township police officer who was off-duty, saw what happened and was able to subdue Spinelli, along with help from Toms River Police Chief Mitchell Little and Officer Ryan Gashlin.

Spinelli appeared to be under the influence of CDS, she said. He was not injured during the incident and was taken Community Medical Center for evaluation.

He was charged with DWI, reckless driving, failing to observe a traffic control device, leaving the scene of a collision with injury and failure to report a collision. He additionally was charged with assault by auto, and driving under the influence of CDS.

The crash remains under investigation by Traffic Safety Officer Robert Westfall and Traffic Safety Officer David Bartoshek. Assisting on scene were Patrolman Christopher Inglis, Patrolman Ryan Gashlin and Patrolman Ryan Cummings.

Traffic was backed up on Route 166 southbound for approximately 40 minutes.

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