Two people were hospitalized Saturday evening after a collision between a motorcycle and an SUV at a busy Manchester intersection, police said.
The crash occurred around 5:37 p.m. at County Route 571 and Ridgeway Boulevard, when a 2016 Indian Chief cruiser motorcycle traveling west on Route 571 struck the driver’s side of a 2013 Honda CRV entering the intersection from Ridgeway Boulevard, according to the Manchester Township Police Department.
Investigators said the Honda, driven by 70-year-old Lizzie Richardson of Manchester, pulled into the intersection in front of the oncoming motorcycle, driven by 59-year-old Erik Palmblad of Toms River. The impact left both vehicles disabled and ejected Palmblad from his motorcycle.
Emergency crews from the Ridgeway and Manchester Volunteer Fire Departments, Manchester EMS, and Robert Wood Johnson Paramedics responded to the scene. Richardson was extricated from her vehicle before being transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Palmblad was also taken to the same hospital with similar injuries.
The intersection was temporarily closed during the investigation and cleanup. Accurate Towing later removed both vehicles.
According to the preliminary investigation, failure to stop at a stop sign and failure to yield the right of way appear to be contributing factors, police said. The crash remains under investigation by Patrolman Jesse Hoydis of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit.
The Manchester Police Department urged drivers to use caution when approaching intersections and to remain alert to motorcycles sharing the roadway.
