Man Dies As Car Runs Off Road, Hits Trees In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — An Ocean County man was killed Sunday evening when his car ran off the Route 547 and hit several trees, Manchester police said Monday.

First responders tried to keep James Germann, 76, of Jackson, alive at the crash site, and h=was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he succumbed to his injuries, Manchester Capt. Vincent Manco said.

Germann was driving north on Route 547 in a 2020 Kia Soul shortly after 7:30 p.m. Sunday when his car began to drift off the road onto the shoulder, the preliminary investigation found, Manco said.

The Kia hit several trees, causing severe damage to the car, and bringing some trees down on the road, he said. The airbags deployed, but Germann was not earing his seat belt, authorities said.

The crash happened just north of the Joint Base Lakehurst entrance, Manco said.

Assisting at the scene were emergency medical technicians from Manchester Township EMS, paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department, detectives from the Ocean County Sheriff’s CSI Unit and Freedom Towing.

Route 547 was closed for several hours between Ridgeway Boulevard and Route 571 for the crash investigation and tree removal.

Sgt. Paul Bachovchin of the Manchester Police Department’s Traffic Safety section is investigating the crash with the assistance of Patrolman Michael Anderson.