Post-Accident Punch Leads to Assault Arrest

A 42-year-old Brick man is accused of hitting another man's car in a Wawa parking lot, then punching the 70-year-old driver of that car in the face.

Gregory B. Herse, 42, was arrested on aggravated assault charges after police say he hit a 2010 Jeep Wrangler while pulling his 1997 Ford pickup truck out of a parking space at the Drum Point Road Wawa store on Tuesday afternoon, according to Capt. John Rein.

Rein said Herse was pulling out of a space and struck the Jeep, which was being driven by Robert Dandrea, 70, of Point Pleasant. After the crash, Rein said Herse got out of his vehicle, approached Dandrea and punched him in the face, causing a laceration under his left eye and lip area.

Brick Police Ptl. John Alexander made the arrest. Ptl. Brenden Barnes investigated the crash and issued Herse a summons for careless driving.

A check of jail records indicated Herse was still being held in the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, on $35,000 cash bail set by Municipal Court Judge Robert Lepore.