HOWELL — A Sea Girt resident who was the wife of a former Monmouth County administrator was killed in a motor vehicle accident on Route 34 in Howell on the morning of Jan. 8.
Howell Detective Sgt. Eileen Dodd reported that at 7:05 a.m., Anne Egan, 59, was traveling north on Route 34, just north of the highway’s intersection with Route 33.
For an unknown reason, a 2011 Ford Ranger pickup truck being driven by Daniel Boden, 24, of Marlboro, crossed the center line of the highway, according to Dodd.
The driver’s-side front fender and wheel area of Boden’s vehicle struck the driver’sside front fender and side door areas of Egan’s 2010 Subaru Forester.
Egan’s vehicle spun counterclockwise as a result of the initial impact and was subsequently struck by a 2007 Ford Focus being operated by Sharon Jensen, 34, of Forked River, according to Dodd.
Egan’s vehicle came to rest in the northbound shoulder of Route 34.
In the immediate aftermath of the collision, several witnesses to the crash attempted to assist Egan, according to police.
One motorist who assisted Egan was South Bound Brook police Officer Vincent Pelino, who was in uniform and on his way to work. Pelino began cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Egan until Colts Neck police Officer Gabe Campan arrived on the scene.
The accident occurred in Howell, near the municipality’s border with Colts Neck.
Egan was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, where she was pronounced dead at 8:05 a.m., according to Dodd.
Boden was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for treatment of a leg injury and possible head and neck injuries, according to Dodd.
Egan was the wife of Robert Czech, who is the chairman of the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. Czech is the former administrator for Middletown and Monmouth County.
Longtime Middletown Committeeman Gerard Scharfenberger said Egan stood out in his mind as a supportive, hard-working wife and a devoted mother to her and Czech’s children.
“I remember looking at them and thinking, ‘What a picture-perfect family,’ ” Scharfenberger said on Jan. 9. “Anne could not have been nicer or more gracious.”
Through a trying family illness and Czech’s rising career, Scharfenberger said, Egan never wavered.
“She was a rock,” he said. “It is just amazing what they have gone through, and she was always there for him and she was always very upbeat. I just can’t say enough good about her and her family. It is beyond words how tragic this is.”
The Jan. 8 accident remains under investigation and no charges had been filed against anyone as of Jan. 13, according to police. Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact Howell Patrolman Scott Brooks at 732-938-4575, ext. 2185 or [email protected].
— Keith Heumiller and Greg Kennelty