MANCHESTER – Police are investigating a fatal crash where an SUV left the roadway, striking several trees near the military base.
The crash took place at around 7:30 p.m. on June 5 on Route 547 near the entrance to the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
Police said lifesaving measures were performed on the driver, James Germann, 76, of Jackson, but he succumbed to his injuries at Community Medical Center. He was not wearing a seat belt.
The 2020 Kia Soul was heading north when it drifted onto the dirt shoulder where it struck several trees, police said. When emergency crews arrived, the SUV and a few downed trees were in the roadway.
The following groups responded: Manchester Township EMS, paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department, detectives from the Ocean County Sheriff’s CSI Unit and Freedom Towing.
Route 547 between Ridgeway Boulevard and Route 571 was closed for several hours due to the investigation and tree removal. Sgt. Paul Bachovchin of the Manchester Police Department’s Traffic Safety section is investigating the crash with the assistance of Ptl. Michael Anderson.
