Traffic & Transit

Bayville Teen, 17, Hit And Killed Crossing Route 37 In Toms River

Police said the teenager was crossing Route 37 after leaving work and was wearing dark clothing.

Toms River police said the teen was dressed in dark clothing and crossed against the light.
Toms River police said the teen was dressed in dark clothing and crossed against the light. (Gila Photography/Shutterstock.com)

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A 17-year-old boy from Bayville was killed early Sunday as he tried to cross Route 37 after leaving work, Toms River police said.

The teen, whose name has not been released, was crossing Route 37 shortly after 3 a.m. about 60 feet from the crosswalk at Route 166 when he was hit by a car driven by a 46-year-old Toms River man, said Jillian Messina, media specialist for the Toms River Police Department.

The teen was crossing from the north side to the south side of Route 37 when he was hit. He was taken to Community Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later, she said.

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Witnesses told police the driver, who was headed east, had a green traffic signal at the time, and that the pedestrian crossing sign indicated no crossing allowed.

Police were told the teen had just left work and was dressed in dark clothing, Messina said. The preliminary investigation revealed speed was not a factor in the accident and there were no indications of driver impairment.

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Toms River Traffic Safety Officer Robert Westfall is investigating. Also assisting were the Ocean County Sheriff's Crime Investigation Unit, the New Jersey State Police and the state Department of Transportation Diversion team.


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