96-Year-Old Bridgewater Man Dies After Crashing Into Tree

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A 96-year-old Bridgewater man has died from injuries he received after crashing into a tree in the township on Friday night.

On Friday, April 8 at 9:12 p.m., Bridgewater Police were called to the intersection of Country Club Road and Talamini Road. It was initially reported that a vehicle crashed into a house but was found it hit a tree, said Bridgewater Police Lt. Kevin Lamey.

The driver of a 2009 Lincoln MKZ was identified as Walter Ackner of Bridgewater, said Lamey.

Ackner had been driving west on Talamini Road when his car crossed through the intersection of Country Club Road and hit a tree on the property of 671 County Club Road, said Lamey.

Ackner was alert and oriented after the crash but was taken to the Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center in Somerville to treat injuries from the crash.

On April 10, police were notified that Ackner died while at the hospital, said Lamey.

The crash is still under investigation by the Bridgewater Police Department’s Traffic Safety Bureau. Anyone with information is asked to contact, Officer Joseph Greco, of the Bridgewater Police Traffic Safety Bureau at 908-722-4111 x 4186 or TIPS line at 877-660-INFO (4636).

Since the crash, a resident near the intersection started a petition to improve traffic safety measures.

"In the last 18 years I have witnessed multiple car crashes at the 3-way intersection of Country Club Road and Talamini Rd and this section of Country Club Road in Bridgewater, NJ. The last five years it has become progressively worse with speeders, along with disregarding signs, school buses, pedestrians, property etc. Living at this intersection was never this bad up until the last five years," wrote the neighbor identified as DN on Change.org.

Since the petition was launched on Saturday, it has received just under 150 signatures.

For more information or to sign the petition click here.

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