Manchester Twp. NJ – On Sunday, March 19, 2017, at approximately 12:10 pm, officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to the area of Route 70, near mile post 41.4 in the Whiting section of the Township for the report of a collision involving a motorcycle and a pick-up truck. Upon arrival, officers located a gray, 2006 Dodge Ram pickup truck and a black, 2016 Harley Davidson FXD, on the eastbound shoulder of the roadway. Both vehicles had been moved out of the roadway by assisting motorists prior to police arrival.
The initial investigation revealed that both the pick-up truck and the motorcycle were traveling eastbound on Route 70 when the driver of the pick-up applied his brakes due to the slowing of traffic ahead. In doing so, the operator of the motorcycle which was traveling behind the pick-up applied heavy braking and intentionally laid the motorcycle down on its left side to avoid direct impact with the rear of the Dodge. The motorcycle slid a significant distance before colliding with the rear bumper of the pick-up truck and coming to rest underneath it.
The operator of the motorcycle, 18-year-old James Hughes III of Whiting, was not wearing a DOT approved helmet at the time of the collision and sustained moderate injuries to his face, both hands, and left ankle. He was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River for treatment of his injuries. The driver of the Dodge, 58- year-old Michael Connor, and his front seat passenger, 49-year-old Catia Connor, both of Lakewood, were properly restrained with seatbelts and were uninjured in the collision.
Assisting at the scene were EMT’s from Quality Medical Transport. The crash remains under investigation by Patrolman Ian Bole of the Manchester Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit. The Manchester Township Police Department wants to remind all motorcyclists to always wear a DOT approved helmet. Not only is it the law but it can save your life.