Danny R Coleman Obituary, Death; – A 77-year-old man from the Whiting area tragically lost his life on Thursday due to a head-on collision on Route 539, as reported by township police.
The deceased, identified as Danny R. Coleman, was driving a 2024 Ford Maverick and is suspected to have experienced a medical emergency that led to the accident, according to Capt. Albert Vega, a spokesperson for the Manchester Police Department.
The occupants of the other vehicle, a 2016 Toyota Tacoma, have been named as Jose Rodriguez-Morales, 55, and Jesus Torres, 39, both residents of Levittown, Pennsylvania. Rodriguez-Morales sustained minor injuries, while Torres was unharmed, Vega stated.
Authorities were dispatched to the crash site near mile marker 26.5, he noted. Upon their arrival, officers found the Tacoma positioned southward on the northbound dirt shoulder of the county highway, exhibiting significant damage. The Maverick was also facing south, located in the woods adjacent to the highway, with considerable damage to the front driver’s side, as reported by Vega.
Rodriguez-Morales was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, he added. The investigation into the crash revealed that the Tacoma was heading north on Route 539 while the Maverick was traveling south. Evidence collected at the crash site suggests that the Maverick crossed the centerline and struck the Tacoma on the rear driver’s side. Following the initial collision, the Maverick continued southward, veering off the roadway to the right.
The Maverick subsequently collided with a tree and came to a stop in the woods next to the southbound lane. After the first impact, the Tacoma overturned. Firefighters and EMTs from the Manchester Division of Emergency Services, along with paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, were summoned to the scene.
The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office and Road Department also responded, necessitating the closure of the highway for several hours to facilitate the investigation. The investigating officer is Manchester Patrolman Conner Yatauro.
