2 Injured As Dump Truck Rear-Ends Car In Manchester Chain Reaction

MANCHESTER, NJ — Two people were injured Monday in a chain-reaction crash that started when a dump truck rear-ended a car on Route 539, Manchester police said.

Grace Newchurch, 39, of Berkeley Township, had to be extricated from her car and was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she was listed as stable, Manchester Capt. Vincent Manco said.

Also injured was Anthony Foti, 67, of Ogdensburg, New York, who was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River for injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, Manco said.

Manco said the crash happened shortly before 3 p.m. on Monday.

The preliminary investigation showed Newchurch, who was driving a 2011 Kia Forte, was stopped on southbound Route 539 waiting to make a left turn onto Horicon Avenue when her car was hit from behind by a 2000 Peterbilt dump truck driven by Noel Rivera-Gonzalez, 57, of Sayreville, Manco said.

The force of the crash pushed the Kia into the northbound lane of Route 539 and it hit the driver's side of a 2010 Toyota Prius driven by Foti, he said. The impact caused the Toyota to spin into the southbound lane of Route 539 where it hit the driver's side of a 2014 GMC Savana work van driven by Steven Greenberg, 42, of Forked River, Manco said. The Kia, meanwhile, kept going forward, rotating before stopping on the northbound shoulder of Route 539 with Newchurch trapped in the car.

Neither Rivera-Gonzalez or Greenberg were injured, Manco said.

All four vehicles were significantly damaged, he said.

Route 539 was partially closed during the extrication of Newchurch and the crash investigation, Manco said.

Patrolman Michael O'Hara is investigating, but the preliminary finding is that following too closely and driver inattention appear to be the primary contributing factors in the crash.

Assisting at the scene were EMTs and firefighters from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services and New Jersey State Police.