Motorbike Rider Injured In Fiery SUV Crash In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Manchester Township 18-year-old was hospitalized following a fiery crash in the early hours Sunday, Manchester police said.

William Roberts, 18, was listed as stable at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune Sunday afternoon, Lt. Albert Vega said.

Roberts was riding a motorized bike on Northampton Boulevard about 12:45 a.m. Sunday when he ran the red light at Commonwealth Boulevard and went into the path of a black 2020 Ford Explorer that was headed west on Commonwealth, Vega said.

Roberts was thrown from the bike as a result of the crash and was found 75 feet away, Vega said.

The bike ended up under the rear end of the Ford Explorer, which caught fire and was fully engulfed in flames when authorities arrived. The driver, Tzvi Kaplovitz, 26, of Manchester, was out of the vehicle when authorities arrived and was not injured, Vega said.

Patrolman Brendan Brush of the Traffic Safety Unit is investigating, but Vega said the initial findings point to disregard of a traffic signal as the primary contributing factor.

The road was partially closed during the investigation and cleanup.

Assisting at the scene were emergency medical technicians from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department, paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hatzolah Emergency Medical Services and Accurate Towing.