Ocean county man charged with death by auto

STAFFORD TOWNSHIP, NJ – Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Hunter Dyer, 26, of Little Egg Harbor, was charged with two counts of Assault by Auto in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1c(2).

On July 25, 2020, Officers from the Stafford Township Police Department responded to the area of Route 72 West and East Bay Avenue for a report of a crash involving three vehicles. An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit, Stafford Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit revealed that a 2012 Hyundai operated by Dyer was traveling eastbound on Route 72 at an extremely high rate of speed. Dyer’s vehicle subsequently made impact with a 2015 Lexus and then struck a 1999 Lincoln; both the Lexus and the Lincoln were traveling westbound on Route 72. The Lincoln subsequently collided with the shoulder guardrail and rotated several times before coming to final rest. As a result of the crash, two passengers from the Lincoln were flown to Jersey Shore University Medical Center with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Dyer was taken to Southern Ocean County Medical Center where a search warrant was obtained for a draw of his blood; laboratory results from the blood draw indicated that Dyer had a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .15 percent. In the State of New Jersey, an operator of a motor vehicle is presumed to be over the legal limit for purposes of alcohol consumption where his/her BAC is .08 or greater.

On September 3, 2020, Dyer surrendered himself to Stafford Township Police Headquarters in the presence of his attorney, and was released on a summons pending a future court appearance.

Prosecutor Billhimer would like to acknowledge the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit, Stafford Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation.

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