MANCHESTER – After losing control of a dump truck filled with tons of sand, the vehicle overturned sending the driver to the hospital, police said.
On September 22, officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to the area of Pasadena Road near the Ocean County/Burlington County border. The truck was on the driver’s side in the southbound lane with sand scattered throughout the roadway and shoulder.
The driver, 50-year-old Erick Castro-Perez, was travelling northbound on Pasadena Road and lost control of the truck, with the passenger side tires entered onto the dirt shoulder. This caused the truck to reenter the roadway, crossing the centerline into the southbound lane and overturning.
As a result, 24 tons of sand being hauled by the dump truck was spilled onto the roadway and shoulder.
Castro-Perez was brought to Community Medical Center in Toms River via ambulance for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The roadway was closed for several hours during the investigation and cleanup.
Assisting at the scene were EMTs and Firefighters from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, as well as the Whiting Volunteer Fire Department. The Ocean County Road Department was also on scene to assist with the cleanup.
The investigation into the crash is still ongoing, but at this point, driver error appears to be the primary contributing factor. This crash is being investigated by Patrolman Michael O’Hara of the department’s Traffic Safety section.
