Crime & Safety

UPDATED: Two Accidents Causing Trouble In North End

Dump truck overturns; car strikes a pole minutes later

Two accidents that happened within minutes of each other caused trouble in the north end of town early afternoon Friday.

Around 12:20 p.m., a dump truck, traveling east on Atlantic Avenue near West 18th Avenue, swerved to avoid a school bus that had turned into the road. The dump truck overturned, striking a utility pole, Sgt. Pete Lokerson said.

No students were aboard the school bus and no injuries were reported from the accident, Lokerson said.

Atlantic Avenue between Hospital Road and Lakewood-Farmingdale Road in Howell will remain closed for several hours while Jersey Central Power & Light and Verizon crews work to repair the pole, Lokerson said.

Find out what's happening in Wallwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

South Wall Fire Department and Wall Township EMS also responded to the scene, along with assistance from Howell Township Police, Lokerson said.

Patrolman Brian Mansfield is handling the investigation, Lokerson said.

Find out what's happening in Wallwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Then, around 12:35 p.m., police responded to a one-car accident on southbound Route 34 near Belmar Boulevard, Lokerson said.

A car had left the road and stuck a utility pole near the Wall Storage facility, snapping the pole in two, Lokerson said.

The driver, who police did not identify, suffered minor injuries and was treated by Wall Township EMS, Lokerson said.

The downed pole caused the traffic lights on Route 34 at Airport Boulevard and Hurly Pond Road to malfunction for about an hour, Lokerson said.

Police closed off portions of those intersections while crews worked to repair the traffic signals.

The right lane of southbound Route 34 near Belmar Boulevard will be closed while the pole is repaired. Glendola Fire Company also responded to the scene. Ptl. Tom Lasko is handling the investigation, Lokerson said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.