Asbury Park man becomes second to die from injuries in car crash after police chase

Erik Larsen, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read
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ASBURY PARK - A second person has died from injuries he suffered in a June 5 motor vehicle crash that happened as city police tried to pull over the car, which eventually struck a tree in neighboring Neptune, according to the state Office of the Attorney General on Thursday.

The driver, Dishawn Bellamy, 32, of Asbury Park, had been in critical condition for more than a month when he succumbed on July 7, the statement from the Attorney General’s Office said.

The crash had previously taken the life of a 17-year-old boy from Asbury Park. The victims were two of four people inside the vehicle. The others — a 25-year-old and a 15-year-old — fled the scene but were apprehended a short time later.

New Jersey law requires that the state attorney general investigate all deaths that occur during a police encounter or while in police custody.

A damaged fence and railing are remnants of a chase by the Asbury Park Police Department Sunday evening of a vehicle leaving the scene of a shots fired incident in their town ended with the car crashing at 527 Myrtle Avenue in Neptune. Patrol units responding to gunfire coming from the 10 block of Atkins Avenue spotted a vehicle leaving the area and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, with the car crashing less than a mile away into the front yard of the home shown Tuesday, June 7, 2022.

According to the preliminary investigation, the crash occurred at 527 Myrtle Ave. in Neptune shortly after 7:20 p.m. on June 5 — a Sunday evening, the statement said.

Asbury Park Police Officers Scott Ritter and Samuel Griffith “were in the process of attempting to stop a vehicle in connection with an indictable crime investigation. The two officers were also investigating the sound of shots fired in the area. When the officers attempted to pull the vehicle over, the vehicle continued to drive for less than a mile until the driver eventually struck a tree. Firearms were recovered near the vehicle,” all according to the statement.

“As a result of the crash, the juvenile and the driver, Mr. Bellamy, died,” the statement said.

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The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office has previously identified the surviving adult passenger in the vehicle as Justin Mayes-Wiggs of Neptune. He was charged with two counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, second-degree possession of a gun by a person who is banned from possessing such weapons and obstruction of justice (a disorderly persons offense). The 15-year-old passenger, who was not identified because of his age, has also been charged, according to the statement.

The investigation continues and no further information was released Thursday.

Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Asbury Park NJ man dies from car crash after police chase