JACKSON – One person was dead and two others were in critical condition as the result of a motor vehicle accident that occurred on Monday afternoon.
The conditions of the injured individuals were reported as the Tri-Town News went to press Tuesday.
The accident occurred at 4:27 p.m. Sept. 10 on Route 528 (East Veterans Highway), just south of the Van Hiseville Road intersection near the Jackson Little League field.
On the morning of Sept. 11, police identified Alexandra Tenneriello, 19, of Jackson, as the individual who died from injuries sustained in the crash. A spokeswoman for the Jackson School District said Tenneriello was a 2007 graduate of the Jackson Adult High School.
Jackson Police Department Traffic Safety Bureau Sgt. Brian J. Geoghegan said Tenneriello died at 2:40 a.m. Sept. 11.
John Shaeffer, a spokesman at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, reported that two individuals who had been transported to that facility remained in critical condition. The identities of those two people were not released as of Tuesday morning.
Police provided the following account of the accident.
A silver four-door 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier driven by Natercia Clanton, 33, of Waretown, was being operated within its lane of travel in a southerly direction on East Veterans Highway in the area of the Jackson Little League field. Clanton’s passengers were her mother, Rosa Moco, and her sister, Anabela Moco, 31. Rosa Moco and Anabela Moco are residents of Jackson. All three people in the Chevrolet were wearing seat belts.
A second vehicle, a white four-door Mitsubishi Lancer, driven in a northerly direction by a 17-year-old female left its lane of travel. Police did not name the girl who was driving the Mitsubishi. Three other females, two 19-year-olds and a second 17- year-old, were passengers in the Mitsubishi. One of the passengers was Tenneriello.
A preliminary investigation by police indicated that the driver of the Mitsubishi lost control of her vehicle which crossed the center line of the road and impacted the passenger side of the Chevrolet.
All four occupants of the Mitsubishi were unrestrained, according to police.
The occupants of both vehicles had to be extricated by emergency responders.
Police said Rosa Moco and Clanton were transported to CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Anabela Moco was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, for treatment of what police said were non-life-threatening injuries.
Three occupants of the Mitsubishi (including Tenneriello) were transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center with critical injuries. The driver of the Mitsubishi was transported to CentraState Medical Center for treatment of what police said were non-lifethreatening injuries.
As of 11 a.m. Sept. 11, a police press release indicated that the driver of the Mitsubishi had been treated and released from CentraState Medical Center. The other two passengers from the Mitsubishi (a 17-year-old and a 19-year-old) remained in critical condition at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
Responding at the scene of the accident were the Jackson Police Department Traffic Safety Bureau, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office FAST team, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Dept. CIU, MONOC ALS and BLS units, Jackson First Aid Squad, Howell First Aid Squad, New Egypt First Aid Squad, Whitesville Fire Company, Jackson Mills Fire Company, Cassville Fire Company, MONOC Medivac and New Jersey State Police Southstar Medivac.
The accident remains under investigation by Jackson Traffic Safety Bureau Police Officer Chris Kelly and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office FAST team.
The names of the surviving passengers in the Mitsubishi were being withheld pending notification of their relatives.
Jackson School District spokeswoman Allison Erwin said, “A faculty meeting was held this morning (Sept. 11) at Jackson Memorial High School. “The crisis response team was activated, which includes counselors, teachers, psychologists and social workers.”
Erwin said officials have identified students who may need support.
“All students and teachers are being made aware that support is available, particularly family members of the students involved,” said Erwin. “We will be keeping an eye on the needs of our students and staff.”