TOMS RIVER – A joint investigation has been launched by township and county authorities into the early morning vehicle crash that claimed the lives of three people.
The crash happened on July 22 shortly after midnight at the intersection of Lakehurst Road and Hospital Drive.
Toms River Police Department Spokesperson Jillian Messina confirmed that 21-year-old Tina Dung of Maryland was behind the wheel at the time when she ran the red traffic signal and collided into a flatbed wrecker.
In Dung’s vehicle were a 54-year-old man, 52-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man – all from China and from the same family. They were all pronounced dead at the scene. Their individual identities have not been released.
Dung did not show signs of impairment, suffered minor injuries and received a citation for Failure to Observe a Traffic Signal. It is unclear at this point if additional charges will be pending.
Neither the driver nor passenger of the tow truck were injured.
In addition to the police department, the Toms River Fire Company, the Ocean County Sheriff CSI Unit and the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office all responded to the scene.
The crash is now under probe by Toms River Police Traffic Safety Officers, Corporal Terry Warren and Michael Cassidy and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
