MANCHESTER — A three-vehicle crash Tuesday morning on Route 70 in Whiting left one driver injured and shut down the roadway for about an hour, police said.
The crash occurred around 9:43 a.m. at the intersection of Route 70 and Hilltop Road. Responding Manchester Township police officers found a gray 2017 Toyota Camry with heavy front-end damage in the westbound lane, a silver 2002 Dodge Caravan with major front and rear damage in the eastbound lane, and a gray 2016 Hyundai Accent off the roadway in a wooded area south of the highway.
According to an initial investigation, the Dodge was traveling westbound and slowing to make a left turn when it was struck from behind by the westbound Toyota. The impact pushed the Dodge into the eastbound lane, where it collided with the Hyundai. The Hyundai then veered off the roadway and came to rest in the woods.
The Toyota’s driver, 36-year-old Boruch Bernstein of Lakewood, was uninjured. The Dodge’s driver, 22-year-old Angel Bravo-Flores, also of Lakewood, declined medical treatment for minor injuries at the scene. The Hyundai’s driver, 85-year-old Roger Striker of Manchester, was taken to Community Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
Whiting and Lakehurst volunteer firefighters, the Manchester Township Fire Department, Manchester EMS and the New Jersey Department of Transportation assisted at the scene.
Police said following too closely and wet road conditions appear to be contributing factors. The crash remains under investigation by Patrolmen Jesse Hoydis and Keith Douglas of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit.
