Woman Runs Red Light On Route 37, Causes Crash: Toms River Police

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River woman has been charged after she ran a red light on Route 37 and hit a vehicle that was in the intersection, Toms River police said.

Daniella Ippolitto, 36, was driving west on Route 37 just before 10 a.m. on Nov. 6 when her vehicle hit one that was headed north on Vaughn Avenue, said Jillian Messina, media relations specialist for the Toms River Police Department. The impact caused the other vehicle to spin and hit the base of the traffic signal, police said.

Ippolitto had a red traffic signal on Route 37 at the time and failed to stop; the other driver had a green signal, police said. She has been charged with failure to observe a traffic signal and other charges are pending, Messina said.

It is the second time in six months that Ippolitto has been charged in a crash on Route 37.

On May 23, Ippolitto was charged with careless driving, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane and other charges after she rear-ended a vehicle that was stopped on Route 37 at Hooper Avenue for a red light.

Police said Ippolitto was speeding and tried to change lanes at the last minute when she hit a stopped vehicle, injuring the other driver. Ippolitto was taken to the hospital after the May crash, which brought down the traffic signal at the Route 37-Hooper Avenue intersection.

In the Nov. 6 crash, Ippolitto and her passenger reported minor injuries but declined to be taken to the hospital for treatment, Messina said. The other driver was not injured, she said.

Both vehicles were towed from the scene and the state Department of Transportation was notified to inspect the traffic pole and base.

Cpl. Robert Westfall of the Traffic Safety Unit is investigating.