Monmouth County Man Dies In Hit-And-Run Collision: Police

MANALAPAN, NJ — A Monmouth County man was killed following a multi-vehicle hit-and-run collision in Neptune Township early Monday morning, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday.

Wesley Moore Jr, 84, of Asbury Park, has been identified as the deceased driver, Prosecutor Lori Linskey said.

Moore Jr.'s vehicle had two occupants. A female passenger in the front seat and a young child in the back. Both were unharmed in the collision, Linskey said.

Ariel Vernet, a 48-year-old male from Asbury Park, was involved in the collision and fled the scene, but was later found in Asbury Park.

Vernet was charged with one count of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle collision and released on a summons, police said.

The collision occurred around 8:58 a.m. on West Bangs Avenue, west of Alpine Trail. Moore was driving a 2020 Nissan Altima westbound on West Bangs Avenue when he was sideswiped by Vernet's 2018 Kia Niro, police said.

Moore's vehicle continued to run off the road to the right after the initial collision, colliding with a chain-link fence, according to the investigation. According to police, Moore was pronounced dead at 11:04 a.m.

Vernet's vehicle continued westbound and sideswiped a second vehicle, a 2001 Mercury driven by an unidentified 42-year-old Neptune woman, Linskey said.

The Mercury was then hit from behind by a 2017 GMC Canyon driven by a 34-year-old man from Neptune.

The condition of these drivers was not publicly released.

The crash remains under investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, Monmouth County SCART and Neptune Township Police Department.

Anyone who has information that can help the investigation is asked to contact Detective Kristian DeVito of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office at 800-533-7443 or Sergeant James MacConchie of the Neptune Township Police Department at 732-988-8000.