NEPTUNE−Some 14 family members of 4-year-old Isabella Corbin, who survived a violent crash in Toms River last week along with her father and two brothers, were huddled together Tuesday at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, waiting for updates.
Isabella remains in critical condition, recovering from surgery in the pediatric intensive care unit, the girl’s aunt, Gabby Koehler, said.
“Right now they’re just focusing on stabilizing her,” Koehler of Toms River said Tuesday afternoon from the hospital. “So far she’s had one brain surgery and she’s going to need many more surgeries in the future.”
The family is grappling with the stark contrast between the child who Koehler described as an always happy girl who loves to sing and dance, put together puzzles and play with her older brothers, and the situation they now face.
“We all just want to be here, praying for her and rooting for her to make a full recovery,” Koehler said.
Isabella’s family members include her mother, Brittany, her father Curtis, who was driving the vehicle that was struck in the crash, and her brothers, Andre, 10, and Christopher, 7, who were also in the vehicle and escaped with minor injuries.
Brittany and Curtis Corbin have remained at the girl’s bedside since the collision, with many others, the 14 relatives among them, dropping in around the clock, Koehler said.
A Jackson man wanted by police and driving a rented pick-up truck he did not have permission to operate has been charged in the crash on Route 70 and Massachusetts Avenue in Toms River Thursday, authorities said.
The man, Charles Sharkey Jr., 33, was traveling east on Route 70 in a 2022 Dodge Ram 1500 when his vehicle ran a red light, grazed one vehicle then struck the 2017 Subaru Impreza that Curtis Corbin was driving, as Corbin tried to make a left-hand turn onto Massachusetts Avenue, authorities said.
The Imprezza was pushed backward and spun around. The Dodge Ram overturned, ended up on the driver’s side, and burst into flames, sustaining heavy damage, authorities said. Another vehicle was grazed in the crash.
Curtis Corbin was heading to the family’s home in Brick after picking up his three children from school when the crash occurred, Koehler said.
As the girl remains under the care of the staff at the medical center, Sharkey is being held at Ocean County Jail in Toms River, awaiting a detention hearing.
The Jackson man has been charged with four counts of both aggravated assault and assault by auto in the Thursday crash along with other offenses like causing a death or injury while driving on a suspended or revoked license.
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Since 2008, Sharkey has received at least 39 motor vehicle violations and has had nine criminal convictions, according to court records. Those crimes have included robbery, drug dealing, burglary and theft.
Sharkey was charged most recently in Jackson on March 12 with reckless driving, operating under the influence and driving with an open container of alcohol or cannabis.
No attorney information was listed for Sharkey.
Aside from her grave concerns for her niece, Koehler was focused on thoughts of Isabella as a vibrant child.
“She’s the sweetest, kindest little girl. She’s so loving,” Koehler said. “She’s so smart and sassy – she’s a little diva.”
Koehler has set up a fundraising page as part of a GoFundMe account for Isabella’s family. By Tuesday afternoon, the donations had grown to more than $63,000.
The goal is to provide $100,000 to offset Isabella’s medical expenses now and in the future.
Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or at [email protected].
