Manchester Woman Survives After Crash Buries Car In Gravel: Police

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Manchester Township woman escaped with non-life-threatening injuries after a dump truck overturned and dumped its gravel, crushing the roof of her car and trapping her, following a crash on Route 539 on Monday afternoon, police said.

Andrea Penna, 24, of Whiting was rescued after extensive extrication efforts that included members of the Manchester and Whiting Volunteer Fire Departments, New Jersey State Police, members of the state Department of Corrections and other motorists who stopped to help, said Capt. Todd Malland of the Manchester Township Police Department.

Also injured in the crash were truck, Kaitlyn McCabe, 22. of Lakehurst, who was Penna's passenger, and Tayfun Obut, 41, of Browns Mills, the driver of the dump truck, Malland said. All three were taken to Community Medical Center, Toms River, with non-life-threatening injuries, he said.

The crash happened about 3:30 p.m. at the intersection of Route 539 and Harry Wright Boulevard in the Whiting section, Malland said. Penna was driving a gray 2008 Nissan Altima southbound on Route 539 and making a left turn onto Harry Wright Boulevard when it was hit on the driver's side by the silver 2016 Kenworth T80 tri-axle dump truck driven by Obut, Malland said.

The force of the impact caused both the car and the dump truck to leave the road, he said, and the subsequent collision with multiple signs and trees caused the dump truck to overturn onto the Nissan’s roof, spilling its load of gravel, Malland said.

Penna was trapped under the gravel and debris as the truck completely collapsed the Nissan's roof on top of her, Malland said. He did not say how long the extrication took but the road was closed from about 3:45 p.m. until after 8 p.m. according to Nixle alerts from police and the Ocean County Sheriff's Office, for the rescue, investigation and subsequent clean-up.

Assisting at the scene were detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) Unit; members of both the Manchester and Whiting Volunteer Fire Departments; EMTs from Quality Medical Transport and MONOC paramedics, Malland said. Representatives from the Manchester Township Department of Public Works and the Ocean County Road Department assisted as well, he said.

"We would also wish to express our gratitude to the members of the New Jersey State Police, New Jersey Department of Corrections, and other motorists who had stopped to assist with the extrication process," Malland said.

Patrolman Ian Bole, Sgt. Antonio Ellis, and Patrolman Thomas O’Hare are investigating the crash.

Photos provided by Manchester Township Police