On Wednesday, July 4, 2018, at approximately 6:30 pm, officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to the area of Elizabeth and Chilvers Avenues in the Whiting section of the Township to investigate a serious motor vehicle accident involving a pedestrian.
Upon arrival, officers observed male with significant head injuries on the front lawn of an Elizabeth Avenue residence and a blue, 1988, Kenworth Tri-Axle Dump Truck with an attached trailer in the street. The trailer’s loading ramps were in the down position and there was a disabled vehicle on-board. Also, located in the area was a 1996, red, Ford F-350 pick-up truck.
The investigation revealed that the injured male, identified as 48-year-old, Robert Braden Jr. of Whiting, had utilized his Ford F350 to push the disabled vehicle up onto the trailer. After doing so, he parked his pick-up partially up the ramps and exited the truck in order to secure the disabled vehicle to the trailer. While standing behind his truck, it began to roll backwards striking him and throwing him to the ground. While on the ground, the rear tire rolled over a portion of his head. Braden sustained serious head injuries and was airlifted by Medevac Helicopter to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment. He is currently in stable condition.
Assisting at the scene were EMTs from Quality Medical Transport as well as MONOC paramedics. This crash is being investigated by Ian Bole of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit.