TOMS RIVER, NJ – A serious motor vehicle accident occurred on Route 9 and Riverwood Drive, involving a 17-year-old driver with only a permit and resulting in significant injuries, including to an Uber passenger. Multiple units from the Toms River Police Department were dispatched to the scene alongside Toms River EMS, Pleasant Plains EMS, and Manchester EMS.
The Toms River Police Department reported that the teen driver only had a special learner’s permit.
The accident unfolded as the teen, driving with an unlicensed 17-year-old passenger, exited a driveway and nearly collided with a southbound vehicle on Route 9. Losing control, the driver’s vehicle crossed into the northbound lanes, striking an Uber rideshare vehicle. The Uber driver sustained chest and knee injuries, while her passenger suffered serious injuries, including a head laceration, facial injury, and potential lower-body paralysis deemed serious but not life-threatening.
The 17-year-old driver’s father, who arrived at the scene, disclosed to the police that he had permitted his daughter to use the car to pick up her mother from work.
It was not disclosed whether or not charges were filed at this time.
This story was first reported by the Asbury Park Press.