OCEAN COUNTY — A Lakewood man has admitted to charges stemming from two separate incidents — one involving a police pursuit and another a high-speed crash that seriously injured an off-duty officer — Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.
Edwin Ramirez-Carranza, 21, pleaded guilty December 1 to eluding police in connection with an October 2024 incident in Lakehurst. He also entered a guilty plea to aggravated assault for an April 2025 collision in Lakewood. Prosecutors say he will face five years in state prison on each charge, with the aggravated assault term falling under the No Early Release Act. Both sentences would run at the same time.
When he returns for sentencing on January 30, 2026, Ramirez-Carranza is also expected to plead guilty to underage driving while intoxicated.
Police Pursuit in Lakehurst
Authorities said the first case dates back to October 8, 2024, when Lakehurst officers came upon a three-vehicle crash on Route 70. All three drivers attempted to leave the area, including Ramirez-Carranza, who was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Silverado.
Officers tried to stop him, but he sped off and ignored their commands, prosecutors said. The truck later became disabled in traffic, forcing him to stop. Officers reported that Ramirez-Carranza showed signs of intoxication and failed field sobriety testing. Breath results indicated he was over the legal limit for an underage driver.
He was arrested, taken to the Ocean County Jail and later released under New Jersey’s bail reform guidelines.
High-Speed Crash in Lakewood
The second case happened on April 19, 2025, around 12:10 a.m., when police responded to a serious crash at New Hampshire Avenue and Cedar Bridge Avenue. Investigators found a Honda Civic in the roadway and a Silverado — again driven by Ramirez-Carranza — in a drainage basin.
An investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office and Lakewood Police determined he drove through a red light at an estimated 106 mph, striking the Honda operated by an off-duty Lakewood police officer who had just left his shift. The officer was hospitalized with serious injuries but later released.
Ramirez-Carranza was also treated at the hospital and later charged with aggravated assault along with multiple motor vehicle offenses. He has remained in the Ocean County Jail since April 20, 2025.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited Senior Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke and multiple law enforcement agencies for their work on both cases, which ultimately led to Ramirez-Carranza’s guilty pleas and pending prison term.
