Several people injured after car smashes into Manchester ShopRite on Route 70
MANCHESTER – Several people were injured Friday afternoon when a car crashed into the front of the ShopRite on Route 70, according to police. Patricia Janelli, 89, who lives in the township, lost control of her 2017 Toyota Camry as she was attempting to pull out of a parking space at the supermarket. After Janelli reversed out of the spot, she shifted the car into drive and began to accelerate, said Capt.
James Komsa, a spokesman for the Manchester Police Department. The Camry sped forward, struck a sign support, traveled over a landscaped median, jumped a curb, proceeded onto the walkway and smashed into the front of the building — injuring several customers, Komsa said. Local Headlines: Marlboro man charged in New Year’s Day homicide[1]
Janelli and a passenger in the vehicle, Maxine Lilly of Somerset, whose age was not identified, were taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River after also being hurt in the crash, he said. The customers injured – who were not identified – were also taken to area hospitals for evaluation and treatment of their injuries, he said. More Ocean County News: New county commissioner disagrees with colleagues on his first day on the job[2]
Police were called to the scene at 1:03 p.m. Friday. The investigation into the crash is still ongoing, but Kosma said “driver error is the primary contributing factor in the crash.”
Patrolman Conner Yatauro of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit is leading the investigation. There was also damage sustained to merchandise at the store, Kosma said. In addition to police, firefighters and EMTs from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Medical Services, and firefighters from the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department and Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, as well as a township building inspector, all responded to the scene.
Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at [email protected].