A Toms River man died after his car left the roadway on Route 9 Monday night and crashed into a tree.
Richard C Bitterle III, 22, of Larch Drive, was traveling northbound on Route 9 at 10:48 pm in a 2013 Kia when he crossed over the center yellow lines for an undetermined reason, said police spokesman Ralph Stocco.
The car then left the roadway and struck a tree just north of Sunset Avenue, Stocco said.
Members of the Pleasant Plains and Silverton Fire companies responded and extricated Bitterle from his vehicle and he was transported to Community Medical Center where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation is led by Toms River Police Traffic Officers Mark Nater and David Bartoshek. Investigator Matthew Scutti of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department provided additional investigative assistance.
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