Man 'Critical' After Route 70 Crash At Manchester-Lakehurst Line, 2nd Driver Hurt: Police

LAKEHURST, NJ — Two people were injured Tuesday morning when a Toms River man suffered an apparent medical episode, leading to a crash on Route 70, police said.

Vincent Malaquias, 58, of Toms River, was flown to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, and was listed in critical condition Tuesday afternoon, Lakehurst police said.

Jasmin Cruzbarrera, 34, of Toms River, was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River for treatment, police said.

Police said the initial investigation into the crash, which happened about 9:20 a.m., found Malaquias suffered a suspected medical episode and hit a guardrail as he was driving east on Route 70 in a 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander. The Outlander kept going east on Route 70 and went into the westbound lane, hitting a 2017 Toyota Corolla driven by Cruzbarrera near the intersection with Tobias Avenue, on the border between Manchester and Lakehurst, police said.

Both vehicles were left disabled in the road blocking traffic and Route 70 was closed for about two hours in both directions between the Lakehurst circle and Colonial Drive, police said.

Assisting were members of the Manchester Township Police Department Patrol and Traffic Safety division, Manchester Township Fire Department, Manchester Township EMS, Manchester and Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Departments, RWJ University Hospital paramedics, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigation Unit, and the NJ Department of Transportation.