Man Who Crashed, Jumped From Route 37 Bridge Taken To Hospital: PDs

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ — A 19-year-old man was taken to the hospital Sunday night after he crashed on the J. Stanley Tunney Bridge on Route 37 and jumped into Barnegat Bay, authorities said.

The man, from Elmwood Park, was pulled from Barnegat Bay by New Jersey State Marine Police at the end of a situation that started with a dispute in Seaside Heights, authorities said. The crash shut down the Tunney Bridge for more than an hour Sunday night.

Seaside Heights police went to Sheridan and Central avenues about 8:20 p.m. Sunday in response to a call about a man approaching the caller asking for a phone, Seaside Heights Detective Steve Korman said.

The man, who Seaside Heights officers had arrested earlier in the day on a disorderly conduct charge, told the officers he was lost and needed to go to the Flamingo Hotel, Korman said. Officers drove him there, and the man proceeded to get into an argument with his girlfriend. He then decided to stay with friends at a different hotel, Korman said.

The man started gathering his belongings from his car, a Fiat, but while doing so got in and drove out of the parking lot, hitting two vehicles in the process. He then headed west on Kearney Avenue and north on Central Avenue, Korman said,

Seaside Heights Patrolman Chris Linnell saw the Fiat cross over Route 35 north with no lights on as the man drove west on Harding Avenue, and Linnell came in contact with the Fiat, which was pulled over on the 100 Block of Harding Avenue, Korman said.

Linnell activated his lights and upon speaking to the man, he pulled away from the officer, going west on Harding and then turned north on southbound Route 35, Korman said.

At that point, Seaside Heights police notified police in nearby towns to look for the car, he said.

Korman said Seaside Heights police did not chase the car at any time because it posed a safety risk to the public.

A short time later Seaside Heights police were notified that the man had crashed on the westbound lanes of the Tunney Bridge, he said.

Toms River police and the NJ State Marine Police responded. The man was facing motor vehicle charges, Korman said.