MANCHESTER – A multi-car crash left two injured, shut down the road, and led to the arrest of a driver who fled the scene.
Police said they responded to the area of routes 571 and 70 at around 9:44 a.m. on May 23.
Officers were able to determine that a white 2012 Ford Fusion was heading west on 70 when it crossed over into oncoming traffic. There, it hit a grey 2018 Honda Civic. This caused the Civic to veer into the west bound lane where it collided head-on with a silver 2010 Toyota Rav 4.
The Civic was driven by Danielle Krier, 30, of Cedarville. She was brought to Jersey Shore University Medical Center with head and leg injuries.
The Rav 4 was driven by Adalberto Torres, 78, of Perth Amboy. He was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River for chest pain and possible internal injuries.
Witnesses said that the driver of the Fusion had fled the scene in another vehicle. He was later determined to be James J. Stanley, 45, of Toms River. He was arrested two hours later when he appeared in Manchester Municipal Court on an unrelated matter. He was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, and also for doing so with a suspended license.
Route 70 was closed for several hours, police said. Various departments responded, including: Manchester Township Police Investigations and Patrol Bureaus, Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, EMTs from Quality Medical Transport and Paramedics from MONOC. Members of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit and Officers from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit. The New Jersey State Police and the State Department of Transportation Emergency Response Team assisted with the traffic diversion during the road closure. The cause for this crash is being investigated by Patrolmen Thomas O’Hare, Michael Anderson, Michael O’Hara, and Sergeant Antonio Ellis of the department’s Traffic Safety Section.
