TOMS RIVER, NJ – Over the weekend, the Toms River Police Department responded to a significant number of traffic accidents, totaling thirty-six incidents between Friday afternoon and Sunday evening.
Some of these accidents resulted in widespread power outages throughout the town.
In light of the challenging weekend, Chief Mitchell Little took a moment to express his gratitude and appreciation to all the dedicated individuals who responded to these emergencies. He specifically thanked the dispatchers, EMS personnel, firefighters, Class I officers, and patrol officers for their unwavering commitment to serving the community.
Chief Little acknowledged that such weekends can be demanding, but he commended the team for their professionalism and exceptional abilities in handling the situations effectively.
The series of accidents began on Friday when emergency units were dispatched to Hooper Avenue, in front of Intermediate East.
The incident involved a motor vehicle collision with a utility pole, leading to widespread power outages. Inside the vehicle, a female was trapped and experiencing difficulty breathing. She was identified as Caroline Meehan, 54, from Brick. According to her statement, she had a medical episode and lost consciousness before the accident. Caroline was promptly taken to Community Medical Center for treatment, while JCP&L was called in to repair the damaged pole.
Later that day, around 1:55 PM, police and EMS units responded to an accident at the intersection of Main Street and Dayton Avenue. The incident involved a bicyclist and a vehicle driven by Neal Wallach, 42, from Toms River. The preliminary investigation indicated that Mr. Wallach was traveling at a high speed westbound on Dayton Avenue and failed to stop at the intersection of Main Street, where another vehicle had the right of way.
The collision caused Neal’s vehicle to overturn and hit a bicyclist, who became pinned under the vehicle. The bicyclist sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Jersey Shore Medical Center Trauma Unit for treatment. Neal Wallach was also taken to Community Medical Center, and he faced charges of assault by auto, as well as reckless driving and disregarding a stop sign. The accident investigation remains ongoing and involves both the Toms River Police Department Traffic Unit and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
On Saturday, at approximately 2:00 AM, police units were dispatched to the intersection of Yorkshire Drive and Continental Avenue for another accident involving a utility pole and downed wires. T
he initial investigation revealed that Kelly Cuthbert, 25, from Toms River, was driving westbound on Continental Drive while using her cell phone.
Due to distraction, her vehicle left the road and collided with a utility pole. Fortunately, Ms. Cuthbert did not sustain any injuries from the crash. However, she was arrested for driving while intoxicated and received summonses for DUI, careless driving, failing to maintain her lane, and violating cell phone usage laws. The accident is still under investigation.