LAKEWOOD – The man charged with the fatal hit and run incident that killed a local 15-year old has a history of unsafe driving offenses, according to police and state transportation officials.
Alexander V. Politan, 31, of Toms River is currently lodged at the Ocean County Jail in connection with the death of 15-year old Jesús López Grande of Lakewood in the Oct. 4 hit and run.
Jersey Shore Online made inquiries to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Politan has had his driving privileges suspended five times in the last 15 years for failure to appear in court alongside various summonses for unsafe driving.
Politan was arrested and charged last week with Causing the Death of Another While Driving with a Suspended New Jersey Driver’s License and Knowingly Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Accident Resulting in Death.
According to Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith, the hit and run incident was reported just after 9 p.m. on Oct. 4. Police reported that a local father and son were walking east along Oak Street when they were both struck by a dark in color Jeep as it was traveling east bound. The vehicle was last seen fleeing the area, south on Albert Avenue.
The father, identified as 37 year Jesus Lopez-Ramirez of Lakewood, sustained an injury to his elbow and was transported to a local hospital for treatment and further evaluation. However, his 15 year old son Jesus Lopez-Grande suffered significant bodily injury. Life-saving measures were not successful and he succumbed to his injuries on scene.
“Jesus Lopez-Grande was found lying face down in the driveway of a home on Oak Street. Jesus Lopez-Grande suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene,” stated police.
Police noted that vehicle debris was left at the scene, enabling detectives to determine that they belonged to a black 2014 Jeep Cherokee. Authorities located the vehicle on Sunday, October 6, in the driveway of an unoccupied residence on New Hampshire Avenue in Toms River. The black Jeep Cherokee had damage to the passenger side.
Further investigation revealed that Politan was operating the vehicle when it struck Jesus Lopez-Grande and Jesus Lopez-Grande. Police located and arrested Politan and he was processed at Lakewood Township Police Headquarters.
Motor Vehicle Commission records show that Politan’s driving privileges were suspended on Sept. 18 after he failed to appear in court in Neptune City on a summons he received Dec. 8, 2018 for delaying traffic.
[adrotate banner="278"]While Politan does not have any summonses for driving while impaired, he has received numerous summonses for careless driving offenses, including following too closely, unsafe operation of a motor vehicle, and failure to obey a traffic signal.
Most recently, Politan received three summonses within a 60-day period in 2018:
- Oct. 15, 2018: Summons for failure to obey a directional signal, in Eatontown
- Oct. 17, 2018: Summons for improper turn on a green arrow/traffic control, in Neptune Township
- Dec. 8, 2018: Summons for delaying traffic in Neptune City.
Politan was also discovered to have the following:
- Nov. 20, 2013: Court-ordered suspension for failure to appear in Neptune Township. That suspension was lifted April 30, 2015.
- Dec. 22, 2011: Court-ordered suspension for failure to appear in Neptune City. That suspension was lifted Sept. 19, 2013.
- Oct. 22, 2010: Cited for failure to appear and summonses for unsafe operation of a motor vehicle in Neptune Township
- Oct. 11, 2010: Cited for careless driving in Mansfield, Burlington County
- Oct. 7, 2009: Cited for having an unsafe vehicle in a crash in Neptune Township
- Oct. 30, 2008: Summons for careless driving in a crash in Eatontown.
- Febraury 2008: Driving privileges suspended for failure to pay an insurance surcharge from a June 2007 crash where Politan received a summons for following too closely.
