Crime & Safety

Bicyclist Dies After Collision With Tractor-Trailer on Rt. 88

Point Pleasant man's name is being withheld for now

A 48-year-old Point Pleasant man was killed in Brick Wednesday morning after his bicycle collided with a tractor-trailer on Route 88, police said.

The crash occurred at 8:58 a.m. near the intersection of Route 88 and Coolidge Drive, across from Midstreams Road, leaving the state highway and some adjacent streets closed for about four hours.

The victim's name was not released pending notification of next-of-kin, police said.

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Sgt. David Bedrosian said the tractor-trailer had been stopped for the red traffic light on Route 88 westbound at the intersection with Coolidge Drive. The bicyclist, he said, was also traveling westbound on the right edge of the roadway.

As the traffic light turned green for westbound traffic, the tractor-trailer began to make a right turn onto Coolidge, Bedrosian said. As the tractor trailer maneuvered its turn, the bicyclist continued westbound on the edge of the roadway, and the two collided.

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The bicyclist initially made contact with the right side cab area of the tractor trailer, Bedrosian said. That impact resulted in the bicyclist being knocked down onto the roadway, and then being struck by the trailer’s right rear wheels.

The driver of the tractor trailer, James J. Southrey, 47, of Sewwll, along with an unidentified firefighter immediately began to administer CPR to the struck bicyclist. Core Care, a passing private ambulance service, also rendered assistance and began treating the bicyclist until other medical services arrived on scene, Bedrosian said.

Brick Police EMS as well as MONOC paramedics also responded to take the bicyclist to Ocean Medical Center. He was pronounced dead upon arrival there.

The crash is stil under investigation, though police said the bicyclist was not wearing a helmet.

Brick Township Police officers Brenden Barnes and Glenn Turner were the initial responding officers to the scene, Bedrosian said. Officer Jay Lampiasi and Officer Scott Dierking of the Traffic Safety Unit responded and are conducting the investigation.

Detective David Margentino and Michael Proto of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit also responded, in addition to detectives Michael Senger and Anthony Giardina from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigation Unit. The New Jersey State Police Commercial Carrier South Inspection Unit also responded to assist with the investigation.


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