Lakehurst Teen 'Critical' After Car Hits Bicycle On Route 37

A 16-year-old from Lakehurst was hospitalized in critical condition after he was hit by a car while crossing Route 37 on his bicycle Monday evening, police said.

The boy, a student at Manchester Township High School, was hit about 8:30 p.m., Manchester Capt. Todd Malland said. The boy was not wearing a bicycle helmet, he said.

The teen was crossing Route 37 at Commonwealth Boulevard from south to north when he was hit by a 2011 Toyota Camry driven by Monica Holiday, 37, who was westbound on Route 37. He was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, and was listed in critical condition Tuesday morning, Malland said.

Holiday was taken to Community Medical Center, Toms River, for a complaint of shoulder and neck pain; her 9-year-old son, who was in the car with her, was not injured. Both were wearing their seatbelts, Malland said.

Route 37 was closed for several hours during the investigation, he said. Assisting at the scene were the New Jersey Department of Transportation Emergency Response Team, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) Unit, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit and paramedics from MONOC. Patrolmen Ian Bole and Antonio Ellis of the Manchester Police Traffic Safety Section are investigating.