Barnegat mom accused of drunken boat crash that killed her son and injured 5 others

59-year-old released from jail months after deadly Barnegat Bay collision

BARNEGAT, NJ – A Memorial Day weekend boat ride on Barnegat Bay ended with a mother accused of operating the vessel while intoxicated, her 28-year-old son dead and five other people injured after the motorboat slammed into an Intracoastal Waterway marker near Brant Beach Yacht Club.

Jennifer L. Pearson, 59, of Barnegat, faces second-degree charges stemming from the May 25 crash.

Her son, Gunnar Pearson, 28, suffered injuries in the collision and later died at a local hospital. He was a former lifeguard and National Guard member.

Boat slammed into marker

Pearson was operati...