Three Injured In Route 70 Tanker Crash

(Photo credits: Lakehurst Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff 911 Facebook pages)

Three people were hospitalized Monday in a five-vehicle accident that caused an oil tanker to flip, shutting down Route 70 in Lakehurst for eight hours on Monday.

The westbound lane of the highway was reopened about 5:30 p.m., and the road reopened fully shortly before 8 p.m., the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office said on its Facebook page.

According to the Asbury Park Press, the tanker was carrying 2,000 gallons of home heating oil. Of the three taken to the hospital, the most seriously hurt was the driver of the tanker.

The flipped tanker hit utility poles, bringing down wires into the highway, resulting in the closure of Route 70 through much of the borough.

As a result, nearly 100 homes were without power for more than five hours while Jersey Central Power & Light crews replaced the pole, the Lakehurst Police Department reported on its Facebook page. Power was restored about 6 p.m., according to residents commenting on that page.

Lakehurst police received assistance from Manchester Township Police, he Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, Berkeley HazMat response, Lakehurst FAS, Lakehurst Volunteer Fire Department, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and the state Department of Transportation Highway Diversion team.