Colts Neck – 71 Year-Old Man Killed in Phalanx Road Crash

Police are looking into what caused the three-car collision that killed a 71 year-old Colts Neck man Wednesday afternoon, January 8.

According to a report from the prosecutor’s office, 71 year-old Benjamin O’Neill was traveling westbound on Phalanx Road when his 2017 Jeep Cherokee struck a 2013 Ford E35 van that was traveling eastbound at around 2:40 p.m. O’Neil’s vehicle then struck a 2014 Hyundai Elantra.

Emergency responders found O’Neil unresponsive inside his vehicle. he was rushed to Riverview Medical Center and succumbed to his injuries one hour later. Emergency responders noted that O’Neil wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

The 21 year-old driver of the van, and the 18 year-old driver of the Hyundai Elantra did not sustain any injuries in the crash.

We would like to send our sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased. We hope they are able to find the strength to move forward from this incident.

Vehicular Accidents

Vehicular crashes are one of the most common causes of injuries and fatalities in the state of New Jersey. In a report published by the New Jersey State Police Fatal Accidents Investigation Unit, there were 591 recorded fatal crashes that occurred in 2017, which caused 624 fatalities.

In 158 of the 591 crashes, Driving While Intoxicated (alcohol and/or drugs) was listed as the major contributing factor. There were 174 people killed as a result of these 158 crashes. Speeding was another major contributing factor to these crashes being listed as a factor in 61 of the crashes. Driving while distracted seems to be the biggest factor as it was listed as a cause for 196 crashes.

We urge drivers to observe and follow the laws while driving, and to remain focused while driving so that they can react accordingly to situations that may suddenly pop up on the roadway. Drivers should be more careful when driving while visibility is low, and they should also check their car before going on the roadway. Being more diligent and prepared can help lessen accidents on the roads of New Jersey.