Point Pleasant Man Charged In Hit And Run

A 22-year-old Point Pleasant driver has turned himself into the State Police after allegedly striking a pedestrian on Feb. 16 at the Forked River Service Area on the Garden State Parkway, police said.

Justin J. Loverdy, 22, was charged with assault by auto and for leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injuries, Castellanos said. After turning himself in on Feb. 18, he posted bail at $20,000.

The victim of the hit-and-run was Joseph Rizzo, 22, of Bayville. Rizzo was left in critical condition after the vehicle struck him at 5:25 p.m. on the northbound side of the rest stop. Loverdy fled south on the Parkway, officials said.

Following the accident, Rizzo was flown to the Jersey Shore Regional Trauma Center in Neptune for serious injuries, including a severe head injury, officials said.

As of Feb. 17 Rizzo was upgraded to fair condition and has since been discharged, said Robert Cavanaugh, public relations manager of the Jersey Shore Regional Trauma Center.

The vehicles was identified as a brown Jeep Liberty, Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Jones said. The police offered few details after the recovery of the vehicle on Feb. 18. At that point, the driver had not been found.

Loverdy turned himself in later that day.

According to Jones, the owner of the vehicle was in contact with the State Police through a lawyer. At that time, Jones could not say if the owner was also the driver of the hit and run vehicle at the time of the accident, and offered little information because formal charges had yet to be pressed.