284 Crashes, 11 Fatal Ones: Route 539's Frightening Tale

From January 2013 until May of this year, law enforcement in Ocean County has had to respond to 284 crashes along the Route 539.

Eleven times, those crashes took lives along the 38-mile stretch of road in Ocean County.

And in the wake of a 10-day stretch in July that added at least four more crashes -- at least one of which was fatal -- to those statistics, the Ocean County law enforcement community is cracking down, as a unit.

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato announced details of his Safety/Enforcement Initiative to address the the issues that have made Route 539 an extremely dangerous stretch of road.

The two-lane road with speed limits of 30 to 55 mph, runs from Little Egg Harbor at the southeastern end, on a northwest heading through Tuckerton, Stafford, Barnegat, Lacey, Manchester, Plumsted and Jackson, and is used by local seniors, commuters traveling to the Trenton area, tourists looking to vacation along the Jersey Shore and a large amount of commercial trucks, Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, noted in a news release.

“Ocean County residents have a real cause for concern over safety issues along CR 539,” Coronato said. “I have called upon all departments having jurisdiction in the area to do their part in alleviating their concerns and resolving those safety issues.”

While both Lacey Township Police Chief David Paprota and Manchester Township Police Chief Lisa Parker already have announced increased enforcement efforts in their towns, Coronato said other elements of the heightened enforcement will begin in earnest this Saturday, Aug. 15.

The enforcement initiative will bring vigilant and aggressive enforcement of all those motor vehicle moving and equipment violations that are major contributory causes to the crashes, including: improper passing, excessive speed, driving while under the influence, aggressive driving, improper turning, failing to yield, inattentive driving, disregard of traffic signal, following too close and various commercial carrier violations such as overweight, equipment maintenance and brake pressure.

Improper passing contributed to at least two of the four July crashes, including one that was fatal.

Coronato said Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office personnel will be assisting with enforcement, driving unmarked police vehicles to report any aggressive and erratic driving to operating marked units. The enforcement participants include:

• Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office
• Ocean County Sheriff’s Department
• NJ State Police Troop “C” – Red Lion and Tuckerton Stations
• NJ State Police Troop “C” – Tactical Patrol Unit
• NJ State Police – Transportation Safety Bureau
• Barnegat Police Department
• Jackson Police Department
• Lacey Police Department
• Little Egg Harbor Police Department
• Manchester Police Department
• Plumsted Police Department
• Stafford Police Department
• Tuckerton Police Department

The agencies are being encouraged to use patrol vehicles equipped with automated license plate readers, and approximately 10 variable message signs will be strategically placed along the road during the course of the initiative to remind drivers to drive responsibly.

The following are the nonfatal crash totals from January 2013 through May 2015, by town:

• Tuckerton: 18
• Little Egg Harbor: 81
• Stafford: 16
• Barnegat: 17
• Lacey: 26
• Manchester: 99
• Jackson: 1
• Plumsted: 15

In addition to enforcement, the Ocean County Board of Freeholders, the county Engineering Department and its Road Department are looking at physical improvements to make the road safer.

The freeholders have crafted plans to make major safety upgrades to a 25-mile stretch of Route 539 from Little Egg Harbor to Plumsted in 2016. The project, estimated to cost $3.4 million, will be funded by the Federal Highway Administration’s High Risk Rural Road program. Construction is expected to begin in the spring, according to the Board of Freeholders.

The improvements, as outlined from the board and its engineering staff, include:

1. Rumble strips: Reduces centerline crossover motor vehicle accidents often caused by sleepy motorists or those traveling at excessive speeds.
2. Raised pavement markers: These markers are fairly common on roadways today and are designed to increase nighttime visibility. They are typically placed along the center lines of a roadway and reflect the light from a motor vehicle’s headlights to outline the lanes of a highway in rural areas.
3. All-weather reflective striping: Makes the lines on a roadway easier to see at night (like a cat’s eyes), particularly in bad weather conditions.
4. Radar-activated LED (light-emitting diode) chevron signs: These signs will be placed in clusters at curves and will light up in a synchronous pattern when a motor vehicle approaches to outline the sharpness of the curve.
5. High-friction road surface: This salmon-colored or reddish pavement is to be installed at six curves on Route 539. The road surface material used will be a thermo-setting polymer resin binder — epoxy, modified polyester or urethane, according to the federal government. Basically, it prevents a vehicle from skidding when its driver attempts to stop suddenly from a high rate of speed.