LAKEWOOD – A 15-year-old girl was killed after being struck by a car while crossing Route 70 Tuesday evening, police said.
Around 10 p.m., Officer Christopher Dunphy of Lakewood Police was exiting a convenience store on Route 70 when he heard a loud bang followed by yelling and screaming.
At the intersection of Route 70 and Vermont Avenue, Officer Dunphy saw a Lexus with heavy front-end damage as well as an unresponsive girl lying in the roadway behind the car.
Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith said Officer Dunphy was gathering his medical equipment while volunteers from Hatzolah EMS arrived on scene and began to perform life saving measures.
The victim was brought to Monmouth Medical Southern Campus Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries, Staffordsmith said.
The investigation determined that the driver of the Lexus, a 19-year-old man from Toms River, was driving west on Route 70 when he struck the victim who was walking south in the crosswalk at Vermont Avenue. She was with her mother and younger sister at the time of the incident, police said.
At this time, the incident is under investigation with the assistance of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department. The driver of the Lexus is cooperating with law enforcement and no charges have been filed at this time, police said.
