Toms River Police Seeking Suspects In Car Burglaries, Hit-And-Run Accident

Officers Matthew Broderick, Jason Putkowski and Ron Bayer of the Toms River Police Department are currently investigating a series of car burglaries which occurred in the Oak Ridge section of the township on Friday morning.

Police reported that a resident on Coulter Street heard the sound of a car alarm sounding, and a pair of white males flee towards Oak Ridge Parkway, where they entered a small, dark vehicle and proceeded to flee the area. At least three unlocked vehicles on Coulter Street were burglarized, along with one on Whitesville Road also. The alleged thieves removed three hundred dollars in cash and two GPS navigation units from the unlocked vehicles.

Additionally, the Toms River Police Department are involved in a search for a red automobile involved in a hit-and-run pedestrian accident, which took place on Monday night at about 8:30 p.m.

Toms River resident Donald Vandenberge, 60, was crossing at the intersection of Vaughn and Bay avenues, when witnesses stated that he was struck by a red-colored vehicle heading northbound on Vaughn Avenue, which then left the area. The red car in question is possibly a Toyota Celica.

Vandenberge was transported by Toms River Police EMS to the trauma center at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. Anyone with information is urged to contact Traffic Safety Officer Robert Westfall at 732-349-0150.