JACKSON — Death has come to yet another Jackson Memorial High School student on Freehold Road.
On Nov. 6 at about 10:10 p.m., Megan McCann, 17, the sixth teenager to die in the past few years along the same stretch of Freehold Road, was traveling east in her 2000 silver Dodge Neon when her vehicle veered out of the travel lane and struck a large tree, according to police.
The problem area of Freehold Road is between Cedar Swamp Road and Leesville Road.
Jackson police Sgt. Russell Scialpi said in a press release that McCann was alone at the time of the accident. She was unresponsive when police officers and first aid personnel arrived at the scene. Scialpi said the first responders tried to revive McCann, but could not. The teenager was pronounced dead at 10:51 p.m.
“I know all of Jackson mourns the loss of this young high school girl,” Jackson Township Council President Michael Kafton said. “It seems we keep revisiting the same place under very similar circumstances and we can’t continue to lose our young people in car accidents that maybe could have been prevented. The fact that all these accidents have taken place within mere yards of one another clearly indicates that we need to take action and we need to take it now.”
Kafton said Freehold Road is an Ocean County road which is dark, curvy and without guardrails at the most dangerous places.
“We will be working closely with county officials to rectify this problem by perhaps placing a guardrail in the area as well as reaching out to Jersey Central Power and Light to install lighting on what is now a very dark and desolate road,” he said. “We may also need to cut back some of the trees to improve visibility.”
After attending a candlelight vigil at the scene of the crash, Kafton said the memorial will never bring back Megan, but right now officials need to do everything possible to prevent any further accidents from claiming the life of anyone who is driving on that stretch of Freehold Road.
The accident remains under investigation by Jackson Traffic Safety Officer Chris Kelly and Sgt. Brian J. Geoghegan.
Following McCann’s death, members of the Jackson School District’s crisis response team have been available since the morning of Nov. 10 for students and staff members. A list of resources available to students, staff, parents and guardians is available at www.jacksonsd.org.
Any parent, guardian or student who would like more information or assistance from a member of the district’s crisis team may call the guidance office at Jackson Memorial High School at 732-833-4626.
A second accident involving a Jackson Memorial High School student, Morgan Tomkiewicz, 18, also occurred on the evening of Nov. 6.
Tomkiewicz was a passenger in a 2009 Mazda SUV being driven by Raymond Fernandez, 18, of Manalapan. The accident occurred at 10:40 p.m. in Freehold Township.
“The accident occurred on Georgia Road as the vehicle traveled westbound, just west of Brandon Boulevard,” Freehold Township police Capt. James Lasky said. “The vehicle was going too fast for the road conditions.”
Lasky said the road was wet at the time of the accident.
“The driver lost control of the vehicle and struck a utility pole,” he said. “The vehicle flipped over and landed on its roof and both occupants were entrapped in the vehicle and extrication was needed. Both occupants were transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where they were both listed in critical condition and were still there (Nov. 10),” Lasky reported.
The accident in Freehold Township remains under investigation.