Jennifer Pearson charged in fatal Barnegat Bay boating crash

Jennifer Pearson has been charged with death by vessel after a motorboat crash on Barnegat Bay killed her 28-year-old son, Gunnar Pearson, during Memorial Day weekend. Investigators determined that Pearson was operating the vessel recklessly while under the influence of alcohol, noting her blood alcohol level was between .09 and .12 at the time of the incident.

The crash occurred on May 25 when the boat struck Intracoastal Water Marker #79 near the Brant Beach Yacht Club, throwing six people into the water. While Gunnar Pearson later died at a hospital, four others on board sustained injuries. Gunnar was a member of the New Jersey National Guard and a former lifeguard.

Following a detention hearing, Pearson was released from the Ocean County Jail. Her attorney argued for her release, describing her as both a defendant and a grieving mother, citing 52 letters of support from family, friends, and colleagues. She is scheduled to return to court on September 22.