Prosecutor: Little Egg Harbor man on drugs in crash that killed Waretown nurse and child

A Little Egg Harbor man has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide in a collision in July in Freehold Township that killed a 42-year-old nurse from Waretown and her 3-year-old daughter.

Thomas F. Polson, 53, arrested Friday, also drew charges of hindering apprehension, two counts of assault by auto and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

Polson was under the influence of drugs when the crash occurred, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said in a statement. His office declined to say what kind of drugs.

The fatal three-vehicle crash happened about 5 p.m. on July 14 on Siloam Road and Old Turkey Swam Road in Freehold Township.

Santiago said the investigation showed that Polson’s Ford F-350 pickup truck left the southbound lane of Siloam Road and struck a Honda CR-V SUV driven by a 34-year-old Jackson man with a glancing blow before colliding head-on with the Chrysler Pacifica minivan driven by Denise James.

James died at the scene. Her daughter Lily succumbed to the injuries she suffered in the crash at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. Her two sons, ages 9 and 13, were injured.

The boys were treated at the medical center and released to their father and James’ husband, Lt. Craig James, who was serving as a corrections officer at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center, a facility for sex offenders located in the Avenel section of Woodbridge, a union official said shortly after the deaths of James’ wife and daughter.

Santiago is urging anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has any information about it to call Detective Nicolas Logothetis of the prosecutor’s office at 800-533-7443 or Freehold Township Police Department Patrolman Justin Nunno at 732-294-5139.

Ken Serrano covers breaking news, crime and investigations. Reach him at kserrano@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Little Egg Harbor NJ man on drugs in fatal Freehold crash