Motorcyclist Seriously Injured In Route 37 Crash In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Lakehurst man was seriously injured Monday when he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed on Route 37, Manchester police said.

Thomas O'Brien, 27, suffered significant injuries including a compound fracture of his left arm as a result of the crash near Bone Hill Road that was reported at 4:43 p.m., Sgt. Joseph Fastige said.

O'Brien, who was wearing a helmet, was alert and conscious but had a number of injuries to his left side, Fastige said. He was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River for treatment; his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, police said.

O'Brien was driving a 2007 black-and-green Harley Davidson east on Route 37 in the left lane when he lost control and the motorcycle went down, Fastige said. The motorcycle and O'Brien slid about 150 feet, and the motorcycle slid 196 feet total, he said, as it was 46 feet farther east of O'Brien when police arrived.

The left two lanes of Route 37 were closed in the area of the crash, causing traffic delays while officers conducted the investigation.

Assisting at the scene were emergency medical technicians and firefighters from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, as well as paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Fastige said the investigation by Patrolmen Michael O'Hara and Brendan Brush is continuing, but the preliminary findings are that unsafe speed for the weather conditions and driver error were the primary contributing factors in the crash.