Police Identify Pedestrian Killed on Route 37 Saturday Night

Toms River police have identified the North Carolina man killed when he was struck by a car near the entrance of the Mathis Bridge Saturday night.

The man, identified as Charles Shaw, 50, of Bladenboro, North Carolina, was struck and killed while crossing Route 37 near Douglas Avenue at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, said Chief of Police Michael Mastronardy.

Police said Mark Montesano was operating his 2004 Mazda eastbound on Route 37 just west of the Mathis Bridge when his vehicle struck Shaw, who was staying at a nearby Route 37 motel. Shaw was pronounced at the scene, according to the chief.

Traffic was limited to one lane eastbound for a few hours during the police investigation.  The accident is being investigated by Traffic Safety Officer Steven Schwartz, Brian Doyle and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department.

The incident was the fifth fatal accident and the sixth death this year in the township - all of which have occurred on Route 37, Mastronardy said. It is the third fatal pedestrian accident in the township this year.

A Brick man was killed in a motorcycle crash on New Hampshire Avenue that same night, according to police.