MANCHESTER – First responders said there were two serious injuries in a five-car collision yesterday near the intersection of Lacey Road and Manchester Boulevard.
Police said a Honda Accord was heading west on Manchester Boulevard at around 11 a.m. on August 14 when the driver didn’t notice that multiple vehicles in front of him had stopped at a red light. He rear-ended a Nissan Kick, pushing it into the oncoming lane. The Honda then collided into a Saturn Aurora, which then collided with a Toyota Tundra, which then collided with a Hyundai Sante Fe.
The driver of the Honda (the car that didn’t stop), David Williams, 60, of Jackson, and the driver of the Nissan (the first car hit), Mary Ferguson, 53, of Toms River were both airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for the treatment of head injuries.
Whiting Fire Company had to extricate Ferguson, as she was trapped in her vehicle. However, the two boys in the back seat, 2 and 13, both of Brick, were properly restrained and medical attention was refused by a parent.
The driver of the Saturn, Dominque Swain, 26, of Toms River, was transported by ambulance to Community Medical Center for neck and back injuries. The driver of the Toyota, Tina Helbig, 67, and passenger Carolyn Helbig, 87, both of Manchester, refused medical treatment. The driver of the Hyundai, Beverly Muhammad, 73, and passenger Abdul Muhammad, 83, both of Whiting refused medical attention as well.
Robert Wood Johnson Paramedics, EMTs with the Manchester Emergency Medical Services, Hackensack Meridian Medevac Helicopter Services, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Whiting Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the crash scene.
Manchester Boulevard was closed for several hours and traffic was detoured. The crash remains under investigation by Sergeant Ian Bole of the Manchester Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit.
