BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ – On Wednesday, at around 1:30 pm, a 59-year-old man was discovered in a residence on Tortola Street during a firefighting operation conducted by multiple Berkeley Township fire companies.
The man was transported to RWJ Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Berkeley Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and Berkeley Township Bureau of Fire Prevention concluded that the fire originated from a living room recliner and was caused by accidental smoking.
