Story by Ethan
On August 11th, 2025, the arrest of Tremel Haskins, age 41, was announced by Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Tremel Haskins was charged with Driving While Intoxicated, Careless Driving, Operating a Vehicle Without Insurance, Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and Operating an Unregistered Vehicle. The arrest and charges against Tremel Haskins were a result of an investigation launched by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, South Toms River Police Department, United States Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, the South Toms River Police Department received a call from a residence on Colgate Drive reporting a motor vehicle striking a pedestrian. Responding officers found a Ms. Bellavista in the road having succumbed to her injuries. Detectives identified a Volvo semi-truck as the vehicle that struck Ms. Bellavista, and Tremel Haskins as the driver during the time of the collision. Tremel Haskins was located by officers with the semi-truck parked at a Walmart on Route 37 in Toms River, New Jersey. Tremel Haskins was taken into custody without incident, and authorities issued a court-authorized warrant to search the semi-truck and take a blood draw from Tremel Haskins. The search uncovered a .38 caliber colt revolver while Tremel Haskins has two prior convictions for narcotics distribution, which makes him a certain person now allowed to own a firearm. The blood draw revealed that Tremel Haskins had an active THC (marijuana) level of 14 ng (nanograms) with a metabolite THC level of 100 ng which indicates recent usage of marijuana prior to the crash, as Tremel Haskins was not fit to operate a vehicle.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the charges against Tremel Haskins are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
