Manchester Twp NJ – On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, at approximately 08:55 am, officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to the area of Ridgeway Road and Torry Avenue in the Ridgeway section of the Township to investigate a motor vehicle accident involving a minivan and a box truck.
Upon arrival, officers observed a red, 2005, Dodge Caravan, owned by Z&S Transportation off the roadway with extensive damage to both the front and rear sections of the vehicle. Additionally, officers observed a downed utility pole with live wires in front of the minivan. A second vehicle, a white, 2006, Hino box truck, owned and operated by FedEx, was located along the shoulder of Ridgeway Road with significant front end damage.
The investigation revealed that the Dodge Caravan was travelling eastbound on Ridgeway Road and was slowing down to stop at the railroad crossing when the box truck collided with the rear of the vehicle. The force of the impact sent the Dodge off the roadway and into a utility pole. The driver of the Dodge, 55-year-old, Saliha Laghrour of Toms River, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Community Medical Center for treatment, while her front seat passenger, 48-year-old, Azza Dehab of Seaside Heights, sustained serious injuries and was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. The driver of the box truck, 33-year-old, Yeuri Delossantos-Padil of Somerset was uninjured. All drivers and occupants were determined to have been wearing their seatbelts at the time of the collision. A roadway detour was established for several hours while emergency workers cleared the scene and Jersey Central Power and Light crews made repairs to the utility pole.
Assisting at the scene were firefighters from the Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, EMTs from Quality Medical Transport and paramedics from MONOC. The crash is being investigated by Officers Jesse Hoydis and Ian Bole of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit.