Man Arrested for DWI After Crashing and Driving on the Boardwalk in Belmar, NJ

On July 11, 2024 around 9:16 AM, Officer Kevin Marron with the Belmar Police Department responded to a call involving a motor vehicle accident on Ocean Avenue in the vicinity of Third Avenue. As he arrived on scene, he first observed one male who was sitting inside a 2016 Dodge Ram and then he noticed that there was a 2015 GMC Acadia with another male who had apparently struck the Dodge Ram. Officer Marron called for first aid, and escorted the driver of the GMC from his car. The driver of the GMC was eventually identified as 44-year-old Jason Nagy.
As Officer Marron was speaking with Jason, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. He instructed Jason to stand on the fog line so he could begin administering field sobriety exercises, but Jason was unable to maintain his balance. At this point, Officer Marron placed Jason under arrest on suspicion of DWI. As they waited for first aid, Officer Marron asked Officer Kevin Poppert to watch him. 
Jason was later escorted to the ambulance and evaluated by first aid before it was determined that he would be taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Officer Dean with the Monmouth County SPCA arrived to transport Jason’s dog. After the vehicle was cleared, a search of the vehicle incident to arrest revealed the presence of an open 375 ml bottle of vodka that was half empty. 
As the officers attempted to reconstruct the accident, a witness stated that Jason initially backed out of a parking space on the east side of Ocean Avenue south of Third Avenue before traveling the wrong-way in the southbound lane and striking the Dodge Ram near the southwest corner of Ocean Avenue and Third Avenue. After striking the Dodge Ram, Jason made a slight right, struck the boardwalk before traveling approximately 20 years on the boardwalk, and then made a left turn and came to a stop near the vehicle he struck. Several witnesses also stated that they had to run in order to avoid being struck by Jason’s car. Property damage to railings and boardwalk owned by the City of Belmar were observed, and the damages to the boardwalk were estimated to be a minimum of $10,000. 
At the hospital, Officer Poppert read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and he consented to a blood draw. They obtained a blood kit from the Wall Township Police Department, and Sergeant Mahoney retrieved the blood afterwards. Once Jason was cleared, he was transported back to the Belmar Police Department for further processing by Officers Marron and Poppert.. At police HQ, Jason was photographed and finger printed. After he was processed, they attempted to call someone and have them sign the Potential Liability Warning form on his behalf, but she refused to do so. As a result, Jason was placed in a cell until he could be released pending his court appearance. 
Jason was charged with Assault by Auto (2C:12-1C(2)), Criminal Mischief-Damage Property more than $2000 (2C:17-3A(1)), and Causing or risking widespread injury or damage (2C-17-2C). Officer Marron also issued Jason the following traffic tickets: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, unsafe backing, failure to keep right, failure to maintain lane, improperly entering a roadway, improper driving on sidewalk, failure to exhibit insurance, and open container
Court records indicate that Jason has been arrested for prior DWIs in Toms River on March 12, 2006 and Avon-by-the-Sea on June 25, 2014. Following this incident in Belmar, Jason was arrested again for DWI in Wall Township on July 14, 2024, and that case is also pending in court as of August 5, 2024. 
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