On Monday, February 13, 2023, at approximately 3:30 PM, police, EMS, and fire units were dispatched to the intersection of Hooper Avenue and Water Street for a reported motor vehicle accident involving a utility pole. Richard Heaney, 56 of Bayville, was driving east on Water Street when he lost control of his vehicle and hit a utility pole before coming to rest in a parking lot on E. Water Street with several cable/power lines tangled around his pickup truck. The pole was laying across E. Water Street blocking traffic, with the wires burning the roadway.

Mr. Heaney was uninjured during the crash. He was arrested and charged with careless driving, reckless driving, failure to maintain a lane, and driving under the influence. There were widespread power outages as a result of the downed pole. Emergency crews are expected to work throughout the night. The road remains closed at this time. The accident is under investigation by Toms River Traffic Safety Officer, Ryan Fitzgerald.