Mercer Times

TRENTON — The Attorney General’s Office today identified the decedent and the officer from a fatal crash involving an Ocean Township police vehicle that occurred on April 15, 2024, in Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. The civilian who died during the encounter has been identified as Guyvenson Innocent, 35, of Beachwood, New Jersey.

According to the preliminary investigation, "Ocean Township Police Officer Ryan Deceglie was on duty when his marked department vehicle and multiple civilian vehicles were involved in an accident resulting in the death of Mr. Innocent," who was operating a motorized scooter on Route 35 South, near Sunset Avenue. Mr. Innocent was pronounced deceased on the scene. The involved officer and other drivers were uninjured.

"A 2019 law, N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody." The law also stipulates that "all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved."

The investigation into the fatal crash is still ongoing, and no further information has been released at this time.