Head-on car collision causes closure of Route 72 Causeway Bridge Saturday evening

Photo via Surf City Taxpayers
The crash occurred after just after
Ship Bottom's largest Christmas parade.

All traffic on the Route 72 Causeway Bridge was shut down for about an hour just after the Ship Bottom Christmas Parade on Saturday evening, Dec. 5, due to a head-on car collision. The crash occurred at the last bridge leading onto Long Beach Island, when a BMW driven by Kimberly Hogan of Long Beach Township, traveling westbound, was struck from behind by an F-150 pickup truck trailering a 21-foot boat, driven by Lance Elias, of Langhorne, Pa., causing the BMW to rotate perpendicular to the roadway. The F-150 then continued into the eastbound lane and struck a Subaru SUV driven by Eileen Kane of Tucson, Ariz., head on.

“Westbound traffic at the time of the collision was extremely heavy due to traffic leaving the Island at the conclusion of the Ship Bottom Christmas Parade,” said Capt. Thomas J. Dellane of the Stafford Township Police Dept. “Investigation revealed westbound traffic began to slow as traffic passed through an active construction zone in that area where there is only one travel lane in both the east and west directions. As traffic slowed, it became congested over the crest of the smaller bridge.”

All three of the drivers were checked at the scene and refused medical attention. Two passengers from the pickup truck were taken to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin for further evaluation.

Due to the crash, the entire roadway was blocked from the concrete barrier to the guard rail.

The Stafford Township First Aid Squad and Fire Co. responded to the scene. Both the Surf City Volunteer Fire Co. and EMS and the Beach Haven First Aid Squad arrived on the scene after fire and first aid units from Long Beach Island were requested for assistance.

The accident is still under investigation, and summonses are pending. Anyone with more information is asked to call Patrolman Ed Kunder at 609-597-1189, extension 8450.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.