Police Blotter: Hydraulic Fuel Spilled from Township Vehicle for Miles

Calls to 911 were pouring in Wednesday morning, as drivers reported hazardous conditions from Oak Avenue near the Ocean County Mall, past the police headquarters, to North Bay to Church Road.

It was a hydraulic fluid spill, coming from a Toms River Township public works vehicle that was leaking, leaving the fluid throughout township streets, said Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy.

Officer Robert O’Neil investigated the hydraulic fluid spill that began at Oak Avenue near the Ocean County Mall, and continued through to Church Road and North Bay 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. That route is at least 2.5 miles and would last an estimated seven minutes.

Numerous drivers called 911 stating a hazardous condition existed with an oily substance on the roadway, said the police chief.  It was determined that, unbeknown to the driver, a Township public works vehicle had a hydraulic leak, Mastronardy said. 

Ocean County and Toms River sand trucks corrected the hazardous condition.

The police blotter through March 24, as reported by Mastronardy:

• More than $6,000 in boxes of vinyl siding was pilfered from a house under construction Wednesday, police said.

Mastronardy said the suspects removed more than 20 boxes of gray American Dream Edge brand vinyl siding, from a home on Main Bay Avenue, off of Whittier in the Money Island section.

Officer Daniel Brennan is investigating

• Three suspects drove to a back door of the Chili’s Bar on Hooper Avenue and stole two kegs of beer at 5 p.m. Wednesday

Toms River Police are looking for a tan vehicle, possibly a Honda, that went to the rear of Chili’s Bar on Hooper avenue on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and took two kegs of beer.  There were three suspects in their 30s and a female in the rear of the vehicle. Officer Michael McDonald is investigating the theft.

• A man stole a tip jar and the $5 inside it from Rich’s Ice Cream on Route 37 Wednesday.

Toms River Police are looking for a white or Hispanic male in his 20s, about 6 feet tall, thin build, thin beard, wearing dark jeans and sneakers with a bubble jacket, who was spotted removing the tip jar from Rich’s Ice Cream on Route 37.  The tip jar was located empty on Gateway Street on Wednesday. Officer Ryan Rush is investigating the theft.

• Officer Mathew Broderick is investigating the theft of a Tom Tom brand GPS and $5 in coin from two vehicles left unlocked on Wallach Drive in the Pleasant Plains section on Tuesday night.