Three Summit Car Accidents in Same Area Monday

There were three separate car accidents just hours apart on or near Morris Avenue in Summit on Monday, which police say is just a coincidence.

At 5:25 a.m., the first accident occurred when Eric Bennett, a 39-year-old Montclair resident driving a DeFalco's Tow Truck, fell asleep at the wheel.

“He was traveling westbound on Morris Avenue from Mountain Avenue when it veered off the roadway, hitting the curb and a tree across the street from 212 Morris Ave.,” Summit Police Lt. David Richel told Patch. “It hit a traffic sign. He was injured. He complained of pain. As far as him going to the hospital, I don’t think so.”

The second accident occurred on the Merck property right near Morris Avenue at 9:14 a.m.

Bhuvanefh Mudaliar, a 30-year-old Parlin resident, was driving through an intersection when Janet Dellasala, a Springfield resident in her mid-60s, struck her vehicle after going through a stop sign, Richel said.

Upon impact, Mudaliar swerved and ended up hitting a tree, Richel said. She complained of pain, but an ambulance was not called.

At 2:37 p.m., a tire came off the car of Eric Pearson, a 30-year-old Chatham resident, while he was driving on River Road near the Morris Avenue intersection.

Richel said Pearson’s car hit a pole, but he was not injured.

“They are all unrelated and it happens,” Richel said. “None of them had anything to do with road conditions or heat. They’re regular, every day things.