Manchester Twp. NJ – On Tuesday, October 5, 2021, at approximately 6:54 am, officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to the area of County Road 547 near the intersection of Ridge Ave. to investigate a motor vehicle crash involving a dump truck and a downed utility pole.
Upon arrival, officers observed a black 2000 Kenworth dump truck in the southbound lane of County Road 547 with a severed utility pole on top of it. The investigation revealed that the dump truck pulled onto County Road 547 southbound from the property of 3858 County Road 547. When the dump truck entered the roadway, the rear open-box bed was partially raised. At that point, the elevated rear open-box struck the power lines that crossed the roadway. The crash caused tension in the power lines subsequently breaking the utility pole. The driver, identified as 33-year-old Jason Veloso of Rahway, did not sustain any injuries from the crash and was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision.
As a result of the crash, County Road 547 between County Road 571 and Ridgeway Blvd. was closed in both directions while the damaged utility pole and wires were being repaired.
Assisting at the scene were Jackson Township Police Officers, EMTs and Firefighters from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, the Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, and the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department. The investigation is still ongoing, but at this point, driver error appears to be the primary contributing factor. This crash is being investigated by Patrolman Michael O’Hara of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit.