Judge orders teen accused in deadly Toms River crash to remain in jail
Law enforcement officials say Martinez, then 17, was driving drunk without a license and speeding when he blew through a red light on Route 37 and crashed into another car.
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An Ocean County judge has ordered that an 18-year-old accused in a deadly high-speed crash in Toms River should stay in jail ahead of his trial.
The defense for Carlos Martinez was hoping he would be able to stay at home until the trial, but Judge Kenneth Palmer ruled that Martinez was too much of a danger to the public to be set free.
Law enforcement officials say Martinez, then 17, was driving drunk without a license and speeding when he went through a red light on Route 37 and crashed into another car. Two people inside that car were killed. They were identified as Evan Fiore and Kiley Armstrong. Two other passengers were injured.
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Assistant prosecutor Travis Clark called Martinez a flight risk, considering he’s facing 80 years in prison if convicted.
“Certainly, when exposure is that high, a defendant is more of a flight risk, and there’s no supervision in the home,” said Clark. “Additionally, if he’s in home detention, there’s no indication he won’t get in a car and drive."
Defense attorney Carlos Diaz-Cobo questioned if Martinez was driving the car in question, even though a police dashcam video was played, showing Martinez getting out of the car.
“There’s no way someone can identify who was driving that vehicle, and I’m only saying that, judge, for the purposes of saying that because there are proof problems in this case,” the attorney said.
The prosecution said evidence they have obtained shows Martinez and his friends regularly drove at high speeds and away from police for fun.
Martinez is charged with vehicular homicide and aggravated assault. He will be back in court in August for another hearing.
