Crime & Safety

South Seaside Park Man Killed in Crash on Route 37 Bridge

South Seaside Park man crashed into disabled vehicle being driven by Brick woman, police say

A driver who hit a disabled vehicle on the J. Stanley Tunney bridge, which carries Route 37 westbound over Barnegat Bay, was killed in the crash that occurred late Sunday afternoon, police said.

Toms River Police Chief Mitch Little said in a statement that Michael Fresak, 83, of the South Seaside Park section of Berkeley Township, struck a disabled Chrysler PT Cruiser on the bridge with his 2013 Hyundai Sonata just after 4 p.m.

The driver of the PT Cruiser, Ashley Bell, 29, of Brick, and her passenger, Meghann Ray, 23, of Jackson, both suffered non-life threatening injuries in the crash and were taken to Community Medical Center.

At the time of the crash, the PT Cruiser was disabled and stopped in the right lane of the bridge, and "for reasons not yet determined," Little said, Fecak failed to observe the broken down car and crashed into it. The force of the crash drove the PT Cruiser into the bridge wall.

Fecak was not wearing his seat belt at the time and suffered serious internal injuries, Little said, and eventually became unconscious and stopped breathing in a Toms River Township ambulance on the way to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. The ambulance was ultimate diverted to Ocean Medical Center in Brick where Fecak succumbed to his injuries, said Little.

The crash is still being investigated by Toms River Police Traffic Safety Officer Mark Nater, Little said, with assistance from the Ocean County Sheriff's Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. Anyone with information on the crash is being asked to call Nater at 732-349-0150, extension 1336.


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