Man Airlifted, Teen Injured In Ridgeway Road Crash In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — Two people were seriously injured Tuesday evening when a driver turned into the path of another car at the intersection of South Hope Chapel Road and Ridgeway Road, Manchester police said Wednesday.

Jason Safoschnik, 39, of Manchester, was flown to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment, and a teenager from Manchester was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River following the crash, which was reported at 6:19 p.m., Capt. Albert Vega said. Both were listed as stable, he said.

The teenage boy, who was not further identified, was driving a blue 2004 BMW north on South Hope Chapel Road through the intersection with Ridgeway Road when Safoschnik, driving a white 2022 Nissan Altima east on Ridgeway Road, tried to turn left onto South Hope Chapel Road, Vega said.

The BMW hit the front of the Nissan, and the impact caused the BMW to spin and hit a traffic signal pole before it came to a stop, while the Nissan ended up off the road on the west side of South Hope Chapel Road, Vega said.

The teen suffered extensive injuries to his leg, Vega said, and Safoschnik suffered internal injuries to the front of his body.

The roads were closed for about 90 minutes while the crash was investigated and cleaned up, he said.

Patrolman Sage Sysol of the Traffic Safety unit is investigating, but the preliminary contributing factor appears to be failure to observe the traffic signal, Vega said.

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