Toms River Man Rams Trooper's Car, Drags Trooper Trying To Flee: Police

WALL, NJ -- A Toms River man is accused of ramming a New Jersey State trooper's car and dragging a trooper as they tried to remove him from the car at the Monmouth Service Area on the Garden State Parkway last week, State Police said.

Robert E. Agoglia, 35, of Grande Woodland Avenue, Toms River, was arrested March 3, Sgt. Jeff Flynn of the New Jersey State Police said.

Flynn said the incident occurred during a quality-of-life detail that was being conducted at the rest area on the afternoon of March 3. Two troopers observed Agoglia sitting in a car preparing to injest what they believed to be heroin, Flynn said.

As they approached the car, Agoglia threw the car into reverse and rammed the trooper's car more than once and as the troopers tried to pull him out of the car, he put the car in drive and pulled away, dragging one of the troopers in the process, Flynn said. The injured trooper suffered minor injuries, Flynn said. The second trooper was uninjured.

Agoglia also is accused of snorting "an unknown powdery substance" to get rid of evidence, according to the criminal complaint.

Flynn said the troopers were able to identify Agoglia, contacted him, and Agoglia turned himself in at the Holmdel troop headquarters later that day, Flynn said. 

Agoglia is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institute in Freehold Township in lieu of $186,000 bail on charges of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury, aggravated assault with serious bodily injury while fleeing, tampering with evidence, eluding a law enforcement officer -- failure to stop, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, according to jail records.