Ocean County Woman Charged In Route 70 Hit-And-Run That Killed Toms River Man: Authorities

TOMS RIVER, NJ — An Ocean County woman has been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident in a Toms River hit-and-run that left a Toms River man dead.

Maxine Pickard, 73, of Berkeley Township, has been charged in the Nov. 22 incident that resulted in the death of 34-year-old John Ekarius, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato and Toms River Police Chief Mitch Little announced Friday. Authorities allege Pickard was driving her daughter's 2009 blue Nissan Altima at the time of the accident.

Ekarius died Nov. 22 after he was hit on Route 70 under the Route 9 overpass by one car whose driver kept on going, authorities said, and then struck by two more, both of which stopped to render aid. Ekarius was pronounced dead at the scene about 11:30 p.m., authorities said.

Toms River police and the prosecutor's office. with assistance from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigation and Al Picker of All Time Automotive in Point Pleasant, a vehicle identification expert, determined that Ekarius initially was struck by a late-model blue Nissan Altima, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office.

The car left the scene following the strike with heavy front end damage, Della Fave said. Authorities put out requests to the public for any assistance in locating the car, identified as either an Altima or possibly an Infiniti, authorities said at the time.

Ironically, it was Picker — whose automotive expertise helped authorities identify a Jeep in a fatal hit-and-run on Route 37 in 2015, leading to the arrest of an Island Heights man — who ended up seeing a vehicle that matched the description, Della Fave said.

Picker was on the Garden State Parkway on Nov. 24 about noon, en route to Thanksgiving dinner, when he saw a blue Nissan Altima with damage consistent with the accident being towed northbound on the Parkway, Della Fave said.

Picker immediately contacted Detective Brad Frank of the prosecutor's office, and Frank was able to locate the vehicle with the help of the New Jersey State Police, Della Fave said. Investigating detectives went to an Iris Drive address in Neptune Township, where the vehicle was parked in the road, he said.

On Dec. 1, a subsequent vehicle examination by the Ocean County Sheriff’s CSI Unit and partnering agencies investigation led to Assistant Prosecutor Mara Brater and Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Michael Weatherstone approving second-degree charges against Pickard for knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, Della Fave said.

Bail was set by Superior Court Judge Rochelle Gizinski at $50,000 with a 10 percent option, he said.

Pickard, accompanied by her attorney, turned herself in to prosecutor's office detectives on Dec. 2 about 3:30 p.m., and she was processed and released on bail pending her court date, Della Fave said.

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