1 Killed, 1 Injured In Head-On Crash On Route 539 In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Manchester Township man died Thursday in a head-on crash on Route 539 after suffering a medical episode, Manchester police said Friday.

Danny R. Coleman, 77, of the Whiting section of Manchester, suffered the emergency before the crash and succumbed to his injuries, Manchester Capt. Albert Vega said.

Jose Rodriguez-Morales, 55, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River for treatment. His passenger, Jesus Torres, 39, of Levittown, was not injured in the crash, Vega said. Both men were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.

The crash happened early Thursday afternoon. Vega said Coleman was driving a blue 2024 Ford Maverick south on Route 539 when he crossed over the center line and hit the gray 2016 Toyota Tacoma driven by Rodriguez-Morales on the rear of the driver's side of the pickup truck.

After the impact, the Ford kept going south and left the road, hitting a tree before coming to rest in the woods, Vega said.

The Toyota overturned and came to rest facing south on the dirt shoulder of the northbound side of Route 539, he said.

Assisting at the scene were firefighters and EMTs from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, Ocean County Road Department, and Priced Rite Towing.

The road was shut down for several hours during the investigation and cleanup.

Patrolman Conner Yatauro of the Manchester Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit is investigating.