BRICK – A massive excavator caused a slew of destruction last night throughout Ocean County after taking down wires, a traffic pole and eventually crushing another car in Toms River.
Around 5:08 p.m., Brick Township Police Department reported that a dump truck towing a flat trailer with a Caterpillar 314 excavator, driven by 56-year-old Christoph Caches of Toms River, was going west on Route 70 near Brick Blvd. when the first incident occurred.
According to police, the arm of the excavator was up causing it to tangle and take down serval wires across Route 70. Subsequently, the wires landed on a Honda Pilot driven by Ashely Savastano, 30, of Brick.
As the truck continued west on Route 70, the excavator arm then collided with the mast arm for a traffic signal pole at the intersection of Route 70 and Brick Blvd.
As a result, the power went out in the area and traffic had to be diverted for several hours while crews from NJDOT, JCP&L and Verizon repaired the damaged equipment.
The incident occurred at the intersection of Whitesville Road and Route 70 where the excavator and trailer overturned, falling on top of another car.
Anyone who may have witnessed this crash or has information related to it is asked to contact Ptl. David Thergesen of the Brick Police Department Traffic Safety Unit at 732-451-2037.
