Nasty Accident in Ocean County, NJ, Injures Two People

Two people, both in their 70s, were injured in a nasty accident in Ocean County Tuesday afternoon.

The Manchester Township Police Department says their officers responded to Route 70 in Whiting around 12:30 PM Tuesday for the report of an accident. Arriving officers found a 2013 Kia Soul on its side at the edge of the woods.

According to police,

"The investigation revealed that the Kia Soul was traveling west on State Highway 70, when it began to drift into the eastbound lane of travel. The vehicle crossed the centerline of the roadway and entered into the eastbound lane, and then onto the dirt shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle continued to travel in the dirt shoulder prior to striking a utility pole and rolling over."

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The driver of the vehicle, 79-year-old Russell Van Pelt, and his passenger, 74-year-old Judith Van Pelt, both suffered multiple injuries and both were airlifted to a hospital in Neptune; they were both reported to be in stable condition as of Wednesday morning.

Manchester Police say numerous agencies assisted in clearing the accident scene, including local EMTs and firefighters, the Joint Base Fire Department, the Lakehurst Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, and representatives from Jersey Central Power and Light and Verizon.

The investigation into the accident continues, but authorities say, "failure to maintain lane is the contributing cause of the motor vehicle accident."