On Tuesday, August 17, 2021, at approximately 7:45 am, officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to the area of State Highway 37 and Bone Hill Road to investigate a motor vehicle crash involving two motor vehicles that collided at the intersection.
Upon arrival, officers observed a blue, 2008, Saturn Vue with extensive front end damage in the eastbound lanes of travel facing westbound and a red, 2007 Acura RDX with extensive driver side damage on Buckingham Drive in the southbound lane facing northbound. The investigation revealed that the Saturn was traveling Eastbound on State Highway 37 when it collided with the Acura, which was turning left at the intersection, from Bone Hill Road onto State Highway 37 Westbound.
The driver of the Acura, 51-year-old, Kunie Brown of Manchester, was entrapped in the vehicle due to the damage caused by the impact and needed to be extricated from the vehicle. Brown was subsequently transported, via medevac helicopter, to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment and evaluation of his injuries. He is currently listed in critical and unstable condition. The driver of the Saturn, a 17-year-old male of Lakehurst, was transported to Community Medical Center for the treatment and evaluation of non-life-threatening injuries. The passenger of the Saturn, identified as 21-year-old, Brandon Carman of Lakehurst, was transported by ambulance to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment and evaluation of his injuries, where he is currently listed in stable condition. All occupants of both vehicles were determined to have been wearing their seatbelts and both vehicles had multiple airbag deployment.
The intersection was partially closed causing traffic delays while officers conducted the investigation. The investigation into this crash is still ongoing, but at this point, disregarding a traffic signal appears to be the primary contributing factor. Assisting at the scene were members of the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services Fire Department, Manchester Township Volunteer Fire Department, Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department, and Whiting Volunteer Fire Department, as well as, Manchester Township Division of Emergency Service EMTs, Toms River EMTs, Robert Wood Johnson Paramedics, and Hackensack Meridian Flight Paramedics. Manchester Township Office of Emergency Management Director Arthur Abline was also on scene to assist. This crash is being investigated by Patrolman Michael O’Hara of the department’s Traffic Safety Section.