by Vincent Manco, MCPD
Manchester – On Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at approximately 9:44 a.m. officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to the area of County Route 571 and State Highway 70, in the Ridgeway section of the Township, for a report of a multi-vehicle crash.
Upon arrival, officers located a 2012, Ford Fusion, white in color, with front end damage facing west bound in the east bound lane of State Highway 70 approximately 2 tenths of a mile from the intersection of County Route 571.
According to witnesses, the male driver of the Ford had fled the scene prior to police arrival. The witnesses stated that the male driver had left the scene as a passenger in another vehicle that had been passing through the area immediately following the crash. Two other vehicles had also been involved in the crash, a 2018 Honda Civic, grey in color, and a 2010 Toyota Rav 4, silver in color. The occupants of those two vehicles required medical attention and were transported to local hospitals.
The driver of the Honda, identified as 30 year old Daniel Krier of Cedarville, NJ was transported to Jersey Shore University Hospital Trauma Center in Neptune NJ with head and leg injuries.
The driver of the Toyota, 78 year old Adalberto Torres of Perth Amboy, NJ was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River for chest pain and possible internal injuries.
During the investigation, the identity of the Ford Fusion driver was learned to be, 45 year old James J. Stanley of Toms River. Mr. Stanley was located and placed under arrest approximately 2 hours after the crash, while appearing in Manchester Municipal Court in an unrelated matter. Mr. Stanley was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury and operating a vehicle involved in a crash involving serious bodily injury during a period of license suspension. Mr. Stanley was lodged in Ocean County Jail.
The crash investigation revealed that Mr. Stanley was operating the Ford Fusion west bound on State Highway Route 70 when he crossed the double yellow center-line into the east bound lane where he impacted the Honda Civic which was traveling east on State Highway Route 70. The Ford Fusion came to rest in the east bound travel lane of State Highway Route 70. After the collision with the Ford Fusion, the Honda Civic crossed the center-line of State Highway Route 70 and traveled into the west bound lane where it collided head on with the Toyota Rav 4.
State Highway Route 70 was closed in both directions for several hours while the investigation was being conducted. Assisting at the scene and or with the investigation were members of the 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 were also on scene. The New Jersey State Police and the NJDOT 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.