On Friday, June 24, 2022, at approximately 07:58 PM, members of the Manchester Township Police responded to the area of Commonwealth Boulevard and Northampton Boulevard for the report of a collision involving two vehicles in the Pine Lake Park section of the township. Upon arrival, officers located a silver 2005 Honda Civic and a gray 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, both with extensive damage that had run off the roadway. The preliminary investigation revealed that the Honda started to accelerate westbound after stopping at the stop sign on Northampton Boulevard and entered the Jeep’s lane of travel, which was traveling north on Commonwealth Boulevard, causing both vehicles to collide.
The driver of the Honda, 70-year-old George Hruszczak of Jackson, sustained extensive internal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene. The passenger of the Honda, 41-year-old Suzana Collazo of Jackson, was extricated by the Manchester Volunteer Fire Department before being transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center by Robert Wood Johnson Life Flight medevac helicopter. Suzana Collazo is currently listed in critical condition for internal and head injuries. Both Hruszczak and Collazo were wearing their seat belts, and the airbags were not deployed.
The driver of the Jeep, 28-year-old Lois Genna of Manchester, was not wearing her seatbelt and was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. The roadway was closed, and traffic was diverted during the rescue efforts and investigation.
Assisting at the scene were members of the Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, Paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson, the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office, the Ocean County Sherriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and EMTs with the Manchester Emergency Medical Services. The crash remains under investigation by Sergeant Ian Bole of the Manchester Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit.