Woman Charged After Crash Brings Down Wires, Starts Fire In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Little Egg Harbor woman has been charged with careless driving after a crash Monday evening that took down a utility pole, started a brush fire and led to traffic disruption that continued into the middle of Tuesday.

Denise McKinnon, 43, was driving west on Lakehurst Road and approaching Route 37 when she crossed the center lane and hit a utility pole about 7:30 p.m., said Jillian Messina, media relations specialist for the Toms River Police Department.

The impact snapped the utility pole and live wires fell on the ground, sparking and starting a brush fire that caused damage to the property at 591 Lakehurst Road, Messina said.

JCP&L responded and shut off the power to the lines so firefighters from Toms River and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service could extinguish the fire, she said.

Crews worked through the night and into the middle of Tuesday to replace the utility pole, leading to the closure of the Lakehurst Road ramp eastbound from Route 37 and a reduction on Lakehurst Road to Route 37.

The closure was lifted in the afternoon.

McKinnon refused medical treatment at the scene. She was issued citations for failure to maintain a lane and careless driving, Messina said.

Toms River Patrolman John Carolan is investigating.