TOMS RIVER – The air in the courtroom was thick with the weight of grief as two strangers met for the first time, united by a shared tragedy that neither could have foreseen.
Jessica Avon and John Arendt Jr. were there to witness the sentencing of the individual responsible for Sean Avon’s death and John’s severe injuries in a 2021 motor vehicle crash.
The tragedy left Jessica, now 31, a widow just three weeks after she and Sean exchanged wedding vows.
John endured numerous injuries that kept him hospitalized for an entire month. His wife and daughter, present with him in court, attested that he would never be the same again.
Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer’s courtroom was filled to capacity, the first two rows occupied by the somber faces of the victims’ family and friends. Many wore orange shirts with pictures of Sean in honor of him.
Judge Palmer had already accepted Avrohom Pam’s guilty plea to reckless vehicular homicide and assault by auto on June 19, 2023. Positioned in the last two rows, supporters of the 21-year-old Pam demonstrated their solidarity in the midst of an emotionally charged courtroom.
Sean Avon’s loved ones spoke about his brief marriage and how he had his life ahead of him. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s office, Pam, then 18, of Lakewood, was operating a 2021 Ford van, when he struck the 2019 Honda CRV driven by John Arendt, Jr., 73, of Brick Township. The impact propelled Arendt’s vehicle into the northbound lane, where it collided head-on with a 2012 Ford Mustang driven by Sean Avon, also of Brick.
A verbal altercation between Pam and Arendt preceded the crash, leading investigators to attribute the collision to Pam’s reckless driving, resulting in Sean losing his life at just 26 years old.
During the sentencing hearing, Pam’s attorney Mitchell Ansell submitted that his client’s actions were not intentional, but rather reckless and that the court should consider aggravating and mitigating factors in the case.
“He’s been offered 364 days, and a condition of probation could be up to 364 days in jail,” said Ansell. “I would submit, Judge, that this would be an unusual request, but the law allows this court to give him non-custodial probation…based upon the unique factors of this case.”
Ansell argued that mitigating factors far outweighed the aggravating factors of the case to support his request. He then offered his client an opportunity to speak to those in the courtroom.
Joan Arendt and her daughter, Lisa, made emotional statements to the court. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
“I am not a bad person and I never intended to hurt anyone,” Pam said to the victim’s family. “I have remorse and I share in your pain.”
According to Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Cassidy, a grand jury returned two charges when the matter was presented to them. One was a second degree death by auto charge. The prosecutor said there was a provision within the law that would require the defendant to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the recklessness was due to a reckless lane change.
The defense provided an accident reconstruction report that supported its position. The state subsequently decided to downgrade the charge to the plea accepted by Pam. Cassidy went through the mitigating and aggravating factors that applied to the case.
“I suggest there’s serious concerns regarding this defendant’s ability to have any sort of insight in terms of what his conduct was,” Cassidy said. “And that impact on the people sitting behind me today, Your Honor.”
Cassidy read two heart-wrenching letters into the record, one from Sean’s sister, Catherine Bird, who referred to road rage as a senseless act that had taken her loved one.
“Your sibling is the one you expect to be there your entire lifetime. You expect elders to age and pass,” wrote Bird. “But never your sibling – let alone your younger brother when he’s 26 years old.”
Avrohom Pam delivered a short statement to the families, saying he feels remorse. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Sean’s widow delivered a powerful impact statement to the court, as her voice trembled with sadness and disbelief. She said that the anger and hate that Pam displayed at just 18 years old spoke volumes of the danger he posed to the public.
Jessica also expressed her dismay that Pam would receive what she referred to as a light sentence. She said she found it absurd that he would only receive a sentence of 364 days in county jail.
“Sean was at a healthy, peaceful place in his life,” Jessica added. “This murderer took it all away from him and walked away without a scratch.”
The last to deliver an impact statement regarding Sean’s loss was Terri Culver, Jessica’s mother. She referred to her son-in-law as a wonderful man who honored family and tradition.
Culver recalled the night police officers came to the door to tell them that “Sean had expired.” She recalled them emphasizing that he had done nothing wrong and was killed in a head-on collision.
“Sean was truly one of the good guys,” said Culver. “We miss him terribly. A part of our hearts left us that day. We are forever changed.”
John, along with his wife and daughter Lisa, sat beside Jessica throughout the hearings. Lisa made efforts to console the young woman who had lost her husband, pausing only when it was Joan Arendt ‘s turn to address the court about the profound impact on their family’s life.
Lisa stood by her mother’s side as Joan described her arrival at the hospital. John required emergency surgery and was having a hard time breathing because his right lung had collapsed. His body was totally covered in bruises. John spent nearly a month in the hospital and months of treatment after his release.
Judge Kenneth Palmer sentenced Avrohom Pam to 364 days in the Ocean County Jail as a condition of a three-year term of probation. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Joan worried when the extent of her husband’s injuries prevented him from receiving necessary cancer treatment.
“The defendant was 18 years old when he made the fatal decision to not obey the rules of the road,” Joan said. “He decided he would cause distress to my husband by assaulting him with that truck, which was his weapon.”
After the attorneys further presented to the court, Judge Palmer acknowledged that nothing he was going to say would alleviate the pain or suffering for anyone. As he explained the legal basis for Pam’s sentence, Judge Palmer also held up a binder of 100 letters of reference written on the defendant’s behalf.
“It’s quite nice,” said the jurist. “And it paints a picture, which I sincerely hope is true. However, on this day, at this moment, it appears the anger got the better of you.”
Avrohom Pam is handcuffed and led out of the courtroom after Judge Kenneth Palmer sentences him. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Avrohom Pam was handcuffed and led away by a Sheriff’s officer after Judge Palmer sentenced him to 364 days in the Ocean County Jail as a condition of a three-year term of probation. Pam was also ordered to pay restitution.
When the proceedings concluded, the victims’ families and the defendant’s supporters maintained a distinct separation as they exited the courtroom. The pervasive atmosphere of sorrow on both sides was undeniable.
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