Video: route 37 motorcycle crash highlights state of disrepair on route 37

Video: Route 37 Motorcycle Crash Highlights State of Disrepair on Route 37

Posted by
1 min read
May 9, 2018

TOMS RIVER-A motorcycle crash on Route 37 on Saturday highlighted the dangers of potholes on one of the shore’s most traveled summer highways.

This week, the New Jersey Department of Transportation announced that the Mathis Bridge and Tunney Bridge that connect Route 37 from Toms River to Seaside Heights have been fully reopened, leading to a rush in weekend traffic this past weekend.  However getting to the bridge has proven to be a problem for some as the stretch of highway west of the bridge is littered with potholes.

 

One couple, traveling by on the highway never made it to their destination because they were involved in a crash when one of their motorcycles hit a large pothole.

Leeza Ziemski, 24, of Toms River was driving eastbound on Route 37 around 2:30-3pm on Saturday, heading for the Jeep convention going on in Seaside Heights, struck a pothole while riding her Harley Davidson motorcycle.   Kevin Fries, her boyfriend caught the incident on his motorcycle GoPro camera.

Video: route 37 motorcycle crash highlights state of disrepair on route 37Ziemski said she was driving the speed limit.

“I then hit a pot hole that was so deep, it actually caused me to stand up on my motorcycle and then I went down,” she said.  “I slid and was crushed between curb and my boyfriend’s bike who was trying to avoid running me over.”

Her boyfriend couldn’t avoid her.

“He then went down and ran to get to me,” she said.  “Police came, and a few hours later I was in the hospital getting x rays and cat scans.”

Ziemski said she’s now dealing with severe pain and not able to move her body well.

She said she also has road rash that will now scar her body.

“All because of a pothole,” she said.

Ziemski took to social media to tell her story to raise awareness to the conditions of Route 37 as the summer tourism season is about to kick off and motorcyclists from around the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will traverse the highway enroute to the beach and other events happening on the barrier island this summer.

“Someone is going to get killed,” Ziemski added.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation which maintains the highway said the pothole has been fixed and they will fast track a project that was slated to begin in 2020 to repave the road.

 

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Facebook

Don't Miss