Full Breakdown
Fatal Parking-Lot Crash in Jackson Township Claims Two Unlicensed Drivers
8/30/2026, 2:42:52 AM
Core Event
A vehicle driven by an unlicensed woman struck a mother pushing a stroller with two children in the parking lot of the New Jersey Grocery Store (NPGS) on West County Line Road in Jackson Township. The collision occurred around 11:55 a.m. on a Friday. Emergency responders transported the mother, her 5-year-old daughter, and the 9-month-old infant to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. The infant was pronounced dead, while the mother and the older child remain hospitalized in stable condition.
Key Individuals Charged
- Maria Cobon-Guzman, 20, of Trenton – identified as the driver of a Ford Fusion; investigators found she has never possessed a valid driver’s license in New Jersey or any other state.
- Ariadna Lazaro-Flores, 22, of Toms River – alleged to have knowingly allowed Cobon-Guzman to operate the vehicle despite her lack of a license.
- Bradley Billhimer, Ocean County Prosecutor – the official announcing the charges and overseeing the investigation.
Legal Charges and Investigation
According to Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer, Cobon-Guzman was charged with manslaughter, operating a vehicle without ever having possessed a valid driver’s license, and two counts of assault by auto. Lazaro-Flores was charged with knowingly engaging in conduct creating a substantial risk of death to another. The crash remains under investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, the High-Tech Crime Squad, Jackson and Lakewood Township police departments, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit. Both defendants have been taken into custody and are being held pending detention hearings; they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Official Response
Prosecutor Billhimer emphasized that the charges reflect the seriousness of operating a vehicle without a license and the resulting fatality. He noted that the investigation is ongoing and that additional charges could be filed if further evidence emerges. Law-enforcement agencies continue to gather evidence from the scene and from vehicle and driver records.
