MANCHESTER – A 71-year-old woman suffered several injuries after crashing into the woods Saturday afternoon, police said.
Around 2 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of State Highway Route 70 and Colonial Drive regarding a single car crash. The driver, 71-year-old Thelma Dantzler of Whiting, was medevacked to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune with multiple upper body injuries.
According to police, she did not appear to have her seatbelt on at the time of the crash. She is currently listed in stable condition.
Authorities said Dantzler was driving eastbound on Route 70 when her vehicle departed the roadway and briefly went airborne, entering the woods. The car hit several small trees and bushes before coming to a complete stop.
The crash was also observed by witnesses who assisted officers in the investigation, police said.
Additionally, police believe Dantzler suffered from a medical episode, causing the crash. However, the crash is still under investigation.
Assisting at the scene were EMTs from the Manchester Division of Emergency Services, firefighters from Manchester Volunteer Fire Company, and Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company, paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Life Flight.
This crash is being investigated by Patrolman Keith Douglas of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit.
