13 Hurt, Including 11 Kids, In Car-Van Crash In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — Thirteen people, including 11 children, were injured Tuesday morning when a transit van carrying students and a car collided on Route 571 at Route 547 in Manchester, police said.

All 11 students were hospitalized Tuesday night, Manchester Capt. Vincent Manco said. Four were taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune and the other seven were taken to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, he said. All were listed as stable Tuesday night, he said.

The children were passengers in a black 2023 Ford Transit passenger van driven by Dvora Katz, 20, of Jackson, who was taking the children to school, Manco said.

The van was headed south on Route 547 — South Hope Chapel Road — about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when a white 2020 Acura TLX driven by Tracey Kahn, 53, of Forked River, tried to turn left from Route 547 northbound onto Route 571, and turned into the path of the van, Manco said.

The van hit the passenger side of the Acura, pushing it off the road and into a black 2024 Mini Cooper parked in a parking lot at 3875 Ridgeway Road, he said.

Kahn suffered cuts to her face and was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River. Katz, the driver of the van, also suffered cuts to her face and was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Manco said.

Assisting at the scene were EMTs and firefighters from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, firefighters from Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department, Robert Wood Johnson paramedics, and EMTs from Hatzolah of Central Jersey.

The preliminary investigation indicates the primary contributing factors appear to be failure to yield the right of way at an intersection and improper turning. Patrolman Conner Yatauro of the department’s Traffic Safety Section is investigating.