TOMS RIVER, NJ – A drunk driver in a pickup truck took out a utility pole on Water Street in Downtown Toms River overnight. Repairs of the downed wires are expected to continue throughout the day on Tuesday, turning an already congested area worse.
Water Street will remain closed between Robbins Street and Hooper Avenue, diverting traffic through the heart of downtown Toms River onto Washington Street while repairs are made.
Toms River Police Department public information officer Jillian Messina reported the crash happened at around 3:30 pm on Monday.
The driver was identified as Richard Heaney, 56, of Bayville.
The Toms River Police Department issued the following statement after our report this morning:
On Monday, February 13, 2023, at approximately 3:30 PM, police, EMS, and fire units were dispatched to the intersection of Hooper Avenue and Water Street for a reported motor vehicle accident involving a utility pole. Richard Heaney, 56 of Bayville, was driving east on Water Street when he lost control of his vehicle and hit a utility pole before coming to rest in a parking lot on E. Water Street with several cable/power lines tangled around his pickup truck. The pole was laying across E. Water Street blocking traffic, with the wires burning the roadway.
Mr. Heaney was uninjured during the crash. He was arrested and charged with careless driving, reckless driving, failure to maintain a lane, and driving under the influence. There were widespread power outages as a result of the downed pole. Emergency crews are expected to work throughout the night. The road remains closed at this time. The accident is under investigation by Toms River Traffic Safety Officer, Ryan Fitzgerald.