M'town Man Indicted for Auto Assault

The driver in a serious single-vehicle October accident in the section of Middletown has been indicted on assault by auto and related charges.

The Oct. 7 Cooper Road accident that landed Charles Chapman, 44, of 34 Monmouth Avenue, in the Leonardo section of Middletown, and his passengers in the hospital with serious injuries, now has Chapman indicted on the following charges: aggravated assault, two counts of assault by auto, causing serious bodily injury while driving unlicensed, and operating a vehicle during a period of license suspension charges, the indictment from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said.

The aggravated assault charge, a first degree crime, that Chapman faces explains that a Grand Jury has found that he attempted to cause by purposely or knowingly cause “serious bodily injury” to one of his passengers; or, “by causing such injury recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.”

The third and fourth degree assault by auto charges, leveled against Chapman allege, according to the indictment, that he drove a “vehicle recklessly and causing serious bodily injury” to the passengers. The difference in degrees accounts for the difference in level of injury to each passenger.

The Oct. 7 Navesink accident occurred on a rural dirt roadway between Club Way and Bowne Road at 2:39 p.m. under dry and clear weather conditions, police had said.

Chapman’s car left the roadway and struck several trees “severely injuring Chapman and the front seat passenger, Tina Little, 39, of Highlands,” , commander of the Traffic Bureau, had said.

Chapman was not wearing a seatbelt. Little was flown by helicopter from the scene to Jersey Shore Regional Trauma Center, Neptune, where she was listed in critical condition.

Chapman was initially sent to Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank, but was later transported to Jersey Shore where he was listed in stable condition at the time.

The rear seat passenger, Roger Bremekamp, 46, was treated at Riverview and released.

Both Chapman and Bremekamp were arrested by Middletown police after the accident.

Chapman was arrested by Patrolman C.J. Higgins and charged with driving while intoxicated and two counts of aggravated assault by auto.

His bail was set at $40.000, with no 10 percent option.

Bremekamp was arrested on the charge of an outstanding warrant, Maguire had said. At the time, he was held on $2,178 bail.

Chapman was also arrested by Middletown police and charged with driving while intoxicated in July, 2011, months before the accident. The following is the police report from that arrest:

On July 29 at 1:45 a.m., Patrolman Keith Hirschbein responded to the area of the WAWA store, Route 36 in reference to a report of a vehicle that was being operated in an erratic manner and struck several curbs.

Upon arrival, the officer observed the vehicle almost strike a group of people standing in the parking lot. Officer Hirschbein stopped the vehicle and approached the driver identified as Charles Chapman, 43, of Monmouth Avenue in the section of The officer detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath.

Officer Hirschbein conducted an investigation that resulted in Chapman being arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. He was transported to police headquarters where he was processed and released pending a court date.

In February 0f 2011, 18-year-old Middletown resident Paul Bradley was killed in an accident on . This crash occurred 1.6 miles east of that scene. Red Bank resident Adam Sofio, the 18-year-old driver of the car in the February accident, whose car struck a tree and was split in two, is now facing vehicular homicide and assault by auto charges for Bradley's death.    

* An indictment is not a conviction. It means only that a Grand Jury has determined that there is enough evidence to prosecute the defendant for the crimes alleged.