Route 37 Crash: Truck Hauling Excavator Rear-Ended SUV

MANCHESTER, NJ — Repair work was continuing Wednesday to a traffic signal and a utility pole at the intersection of Route 37 and Colonial Drive that were severely damaged when a commercial truck rear-ended an SUV and ran off the road Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The driver of the SUV suffered minor injuries in the crash that happened about 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, Manchester Capt. Vincent Manco said.

The crash, which knocked out power to dozens of homes, along with town hall and Manchester Township High School, also caused major traffic tie-ups on Route 37 in both directions that continued for several hours.

Robert Moyer III, 47, of Barrington, was driving west on Route 37 in a white 2017 Ford F550 commercial truck owned by Sano Drilling Inc., hauling a trailer carrying a John Deere 75G excavator, when he rear-ended a blue 2017 Honda Pilot that was slowing for a red traffic signal at the Colonial Drive intersection, Manchester Capt. Vincent Manco said.

The impact caused the Honda to spin into the intersection. The driver, Elizabeth Hughes, 53, of Jackson, complained of head pain and was evaluated at the scene but refused further medical attention, Manco said.

After hitting the Honda, the commercial truck then ran off the road onto the shoulder, hitting the traffic signal, an electronic sign board, a traffic sign and a utility pole, causing extensive damage to all of those, Manco said. The impact also caused the trailer to jackknife and hit the truck on the passenger side, he said.

Moyer was not injured; both he and Hughes were wearing their seatbelts, Manco said.

Work crews from Jersey Central Power & Light and the state Department of Transportation are at the intersection, repairing and replacing the utility pole, the traffic signal and wires that were damaged in the crash.

Manchester Patrolman Michael O'Hara is investigating the crash, Manco said, but the preliminary information is that driver inattention appears to be the primary contributing factor.

Assisting at the scene were New Jersey State Police, Lakehurst Police, EMTs and firefighters from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, firefighters from the Whiting Volunteer Fire Department, Manchester Township Volunteer Fire Department and the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department, and the Manchester Township Office of Emergency Management.

Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters here, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Manchester Patch on Facebook.