2 Airlifted After Head-On Crash On Route 539 In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — Two people were severely injured in a head-on crash in Manchester on Wednesday, police said Thursday.

Troy Sullivan, 62, of Absecon, and Wendy O'Neal, 54, of Hamilton, were both flown to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune following the crash that happened just before 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Manchester Police Capt. Albert Vega said.

Sullivan suffered severe injuries over his whole body, Vega said, and O'Neal suffered severe injuries to both legs and her upper body. Both were listed as stable, he said.

Sullivan was driving a gray 2014 Chrysler 200 south on Route 539 and O'Neal was driving a blue 2021 Chevrolet Spark north on Route 539 when the Chrysler crossed the center line in the area of milemarker 26.0. The front driver's side of the Chrysler hit the Chevrolet and kept going about 150 farther before coming to a rest facing south in the northbound lane, Vega said.

The Chevrolet, meanwhile, spun about 270 degrees as a result of the impact and came to a stop facing east on the shoulder on the northbound side of the road, Vega said.

Assisting at the scene were EMTs from the Manchester Division of Emergency Services, Fire Fighters and Fire Police from the Whiting Volunteer Fire Department, Joint-Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Fire Fighters, Paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Life Flight, and Hackensack Meridian AirMed.

The investigation into the crash is still continuing but the preliminary determination is that failure to maintain lane is the primary contributing factor, Vega said.

Patrolman Conner Yatauro of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit is investigating.