Man Dead, 3 Arrested After Thanksgiving Crash In Woodbridge: Police

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A man died in a crash on Route 1 on Thanksgiving night, and Woodbridge Police arrested three people who hit his car after it flipped over the median.

The crash happened on Thursday around 9:52 p.m. on Route 1 South near the entrance ramp from Route 35, according to Woodbridge Police Sergeant Joseph Angelo.

Manuel Pujols, 51, was driving a Ford pickup truck when he hit the median and the truck flipped over it, Angelo said. Police are still investigating why Pujols ran into the median, according to Angelo.

About a minute later, Angelo said, a car hit Pujols' truck while it was upside down in the center of the road. The 2009 Hyundai Elantra was stolen, Angelo said, and police charged the three people inside with receiving stolen property.

First responders took Pujols to JFK University Medical Center in Edison, where he was later pronounced dead. Angelo said it is unclear which collision caused Pujols' fatal injuries, and said police are still analyzing information.

Angelo said Pujols' license listed him as a Jersey City resident, though his obituary with Gustav J. Novak Funeral Home says he lived in Woodbridge.

The people in the stolen car were all from Elizabeth, Angelo said: 23-year-old Ulyssee McDonald Jr., 19-year-old Terrence McDonald, and an unidentified 17-year-old. Police arrested and charged them.

Angelo said police are investigating whether they stole the vehicle, or had acquired it some other way.

Police ask anyone who saw the crash, or who has more information, to call Officer Jake Fasano at 732- 634-7700, ext. 6646.