1 Monmouth Student Killed, 1 Hurt As Car Hits Tree: Prosecutor

OCEAN TOWNHIP, NJ — A Monmouth University student was killed and a second one was injured when a car hit a tree in Ocean Township on Saturday morning, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said.

Dane M. Fante, 20, of Moorestown, died as a result of his injuries in the crash that happened about 2:40 a.m. on South Lincoln Avenue, the prosecutor's office said.

Fante was the passenger in a 2006 Audi AA8 driven by Jose R. Rivera, 21, of Lyndhurst, authorities said. Both men are students at Monmouth, Gramiccioni said.

The car veered off the eastbound roadway near 223 South Lincoln Ave. and hit multiple objects including the tree, where it came to rest, the prosecutor's office said.

Fante was pronounced dead at Monmouth Medical Center, West Long Branch, at 3:24 a.m., while Rivera was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he is being treated for non-life threatening injuries, the prosecutor's office said.

The crash remains under investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team (SCART), and Ocean Township Police Department.

Anyone who witnessed the accident or has information to assist the investigative team is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Kristian DeVito at 800-533-7443 or Ocean Township Police Sgt. Todd Gregory at 732-531-1800.

Image via Shutterstock