July 12, 2024
On Thursday, July 11, 2024, at approximately 11:20 p.m. officers of the Manchester Township Police Department were dispatched to the intersection of Route 37 and Commonwealth Boulevard for the report of a bicyclist struck by a motor vehicle. Upon arrival officers observed a black 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan with extensive front end damage in the eastbound lanes of Route 37. Also located in the roadway was a bicycle which was split in half by the collision. The cyclist was identified as a 14-year-old Manchester resident and was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Dodge identified as 55-year-old Frederick Grimm of Manahawkin; NJ reported no injuries on scene.
The crash investigation revealed that the Dodge was travelling eastbound on Route 37 prior to the crash. As the Dodge traversed the Commonwealth intersection it struck the bicyclist who attempted to cross the intersection during a green traffic signal. The bicycle did not appear to be equipped with any illuminating lamps as required by NJ law when a bicycle is in operation at night.
Assisting at the scene were EMT’s from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Medical Services, and Paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The investigation into the crash is still ongoing, but at this point, failure to yield is the primary contributing factor in the crash. This crash is being investigated by Patrolman Keith Douglas of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit.
