Driver who hit kid-occupied SUV in stolen U-Haul gets 10 years

🚨 Charles Sharkey Jr. admitted he was on meth when he rear-ended an SUV

🚨 The SUV burst into flames, seriously injuring one of three children

🚨 Two other vehicles were also damaged in the crash

TOMS RIVER — A man driving a stolen rental pickup truck who rear-ended an SUV carrying a man and his three children in 2023 has been sentenced to ten years in state prison.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Charles Sharkey, Jr., 33, stole a 2022 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup from a U-Haul rental location while driving on a suspended license. Billhimer said he also had two warrants out for his arrest at the time of the incident.

While heading east on Route 70 around 4 p.m. on March 23, 2023, officials said Sharkey was using his cell phone and did not stop for a red light at the intersection with Massachusetts Avenue in Toms River.

Sharkey grazed the back of a 2016 Honda CRV and hit a 2017 Subaru Impreza as he tried to make a left turn. The impact caused the Impreza to be pushed backward and spin around, and the pickup to flip onto the driver's side and catch fire, according to Billhimer. A fourth vehicle, a 2021 Lexus RX 350, was also grazed.

One of the children suffered serious injuries and was later taken to a rehabilitation center. The driver and the two other children were treated and released from Jersey Shore University Medical Center. The identities of the children and man were not disclosed.

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Incident 11 days earlier

A blood test obtained under a warrant determined Sharkey was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the crash. Sharkey later pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, and will be required to serve 85% of his term.

Just 11 days before the crash, officials said Sharkey was found in the area of North County Line Road in Jackson slumped over the steering wheel and sleeping inside his vehicle. He also had a .22 caliber handgun, according to officials. Sharkey was released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.

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