Tree Falls On NJ Transit Wires In Hazlet Monday

HAZLET, NJ — Two days after a Hazlet man was killed by an NJ Transit train Saturday at the Bethany Road intersection, a second NJ Transit incident happened in that same area in Hazlet: A tree fell on train wires Monday morning, delaying service on the North Jersey Coast line by up to 45 minutes.

The tree fell on the train power lines at 6:50 a.m. between Bethany and Centerville roads in Hazlet, NJ Transit spokesman Jim Smith told Patch. The accident forced trains to use a single-track through the area, resulting in 45-minute delays between Long Branch and Hazlet. However, by 9:30 a.m. the tree had been cleared and both tracks were open.

It was possibly the overnight storms that brought down the tree, he said.

On Saturday, Albert Fuchs, 90, of Hazlet, was killed when his car was hit by a train at the Bethany Road railroad crossing. The safety gates at that crossing were working correctly. Initial reports show that he went around the crossing gates. Fuchs' car was hit by a Long Branch train bound for New York Penn Station and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

None of the 150 passengers or crew were injured.

Past Patch reporting: Victim ID'd, Killed In N.J. Train Crash With Car In Monmouth County