Man's Accidental Acceleration Blamed In Six-Vehicle Chain-Reaction Crash In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ -- Six vehicles were damaged but no one was injured in a chain-reaction crash in a Route 70 parking lot Wednesday when a Toms River man hit the accelerator instead of the brake, Manchester police said.

Manuel Sueiro, 78, of Toms River, was attempting to back out of a parking space at the Manchester ShopRite when he hit the accelerator instead of the brake, Manchester Capt. Todd Malland said.

As a result, Sueiro’s black 2015 Toyota Venza crashed into the back of a white 2008 Ford Explorer and a red 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, Malland said. The force of the impact pushed the Explorer into a white 1996 Buick Century and a brown 2004 Saab 344, sending the Saab 25 feet into a beige 2009 Hyundai Sonata and into a nearby curb, Malland said.

None of the other vehicles, all of which were parked, were occupied, he said. Sueiro and his passenger, Rosemarie Sueiro, 52, of Toms River, were both uninjured, he said.

The western part of the parking lot was closed for several hours while tow trucks separated the vehicles involved in the collision, Malland said.

The crash remains under investigation by Patrolman Ian Bole from the Manchester Township Police Traffic Safety Section.