Police said a driver asleep at the wheel created a chain of events this morning that included a multi-car crash, fuel spill and disabled light stanchion.
The incident began 6 a.m. Friday as Frank Favocci, 23, of Lakehurst drove westbound on Route 70 in a 2006 Infinity.
Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said Favocci reportedly feel asleep at the wheel and left the roadway, first striking a merge sign by the intersection with Whitesville Road.
Mastronardy said Favocci next struck a truck that was in the process of exiting the Exxon Gas station at the intersection.
"The truck, operated by Bruce Persons Jr, 40, of Jackson then went into reverse and struck a light stanchion," Mastronardy said.
That impact punctured the truck's fuel tank, spilling more than 50 gallons of diesel fuel into the road and parking lot, Mastronardy said.
A nearby Toyota, parked and unoccupied in the Exxon lot, was also struck as Persons attempted to back up, said the police chief.
Favocci was transported to Community Medical Center and treated and released, police said.
Pleasant Plains Fire Company and New Jersey Department of Transportation personnel responded to for the fuel spill. Officer Eric Harris issued Favocci a summons for careless driving.
Toms River Fire District 2 announced the spill had shuttered some lanes at the intersection this morning, with a clean-up in still progress at 9:30 a.m.
The intersection of the county road of Whitesville Road, also known as Route 527, and Route 70 also had a state DOT traffic team assisting with the response.
