PARSIPPANY — Abel Mathukutty, 18, of Lake Hiawatha, has been indicted by a grand jury sitting in Ocean County in connection with a fatal crash that occurred on Route 37 in Toms River on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
Mathukutty faces charges of vehicular homicide, assault by auto, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash causing death, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash causing serious bodily injury.
The Crash
At approximately 7:25 p.m., Toms River Police responded to reports of a crash near the easternmost portion of Route 37, close to the Aqua Blu restaurant. Officers discovered a white Mercedes sedan that had collided with a utility pole.
The driver, Deborah Barone, 59, of Toms River, and her husband, Michael Barone, 64, both sustained serious injuries. Deborah Barone was transported to Community Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries. Michael Barone was later transferred to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, treated for his injuries, and released.
Investigators determined that an Infiniti sedan struck the Mercedes on the driver’s side, forcing it into the utility pole. The Infiniti fled the scene, continuing eastbound over the Thomas A. Mathis Bridge.
Arrest in Seaside Park
A description of the suspect vehicle was broadcast, and shortly before 8 p.m., Seaside Park Police located a heavily damaged Infiniti sedan matching the description. Officers noted deployed airbags and significant passenger-side damage.
The driver was identified as Mathukutty, who was taken into custody at the scene without incident. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail and later released under New Jersey’s bail reform policies.
Speed a Factor
Further investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Vehicular Homicide Squad revealed that Mathukutty’s vehicle was traveling at 76 miles per hour in a 50 m.p.h. zone at the time of the crash.
The case will proceed in Ocean County Superior Court.
