Woman Hospitalized, Charged With DUI After Crash In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Manchester Township woman has been charged with driving under the influence following a crash that left her hospitalized and brought down power lines, Manchester police said Thursday.

Lisa Leith, 61, had to be extricated from her 2024 Nissan Frontier following the crash on Commonwealth Boulevard that happened just before 1 p.m. Wednesday, Manchester Lt. Chris Cerullo said.

Leith was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune and was listed as stable, Cerullo said.

Investigators found Leith was driving the Nissan pickup west on Commonwealth Boulevard when she failed to negotiate a curve and ran off the road near Third Street. She hit several street signs, a utility pole and multiple trees before going down a small embankment and overturning, Cerullo said.

The pickup came to rest on its roof about 20 yards into the woods. The utility pole was snapped in half and brought down high-voltage lines across the road, he said.

He said the investigation led to Leith being charged with suspicion of driving while intoxicated, and impairment is believed to be the primary contributing factor in the crash.

Multiple agencies assisted, including EMTs and firefighters from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, volunteer firefighters from the Ridgeway, Manchester, and Joint Base Fire companies, paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and Priced Rite Towing.

Patrol Officers Jesse Hoydis and Sage Sysol are investigating.