Two Hurt In Head-On Crash On Route 530 In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ -- Two people were injured Friday morning in a head-on collision that shut down Route 530 in Manchester for nearly four hours, Manchester police said.

Alma Brekke, 79, of Whiting, was westbound on Route 530 in the stretch of road between Congasia Road and America’s Keswick, returning from visiting the dog park located at Robert J. Miller Air Park in Berkeley Township, Manchester Lt. Vincent Manco said. Her vehicle, a 2015 Hyundai Elantra, crossed over the center line and into the eastbound lane where it hit a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe driven by Joseph Dufault, 78, also of Whiting, head on, he said.

Both drivers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, Manco said.

Whiting First Aid and a Northeast Metro Ambulance transported the drivers from the scene to Robert Miller Air Park, where they were flown to Jersey Shore University Hospital by MONOC-1 and NJSP Southstar-1 helicopters for treatment of their injuries, Manco said.

Brekke’s dog, which was in the vehicle at the time of the crash, was removed by Manchester Township Animal Control Officer Margaret Dellapietro and transported to the Ocean County Animal Shelter for safekeeping, he said.

Assisting at the scene were paramedics from MONOC, Whiting Fire Department, Ocean County Road Department, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ocean County Sherriff’s Department CSI unit, he said.

Patrolmen Paul Bachovchin and Thomas O’Hare are investigating.