MANALAPAN — Once again, the mix of a vehicle and a pedestrian has proven deadly on Route 33.
Just after 10 p.m. Aug. 25, a 60-year-old male Manalapan resident was struck by a vehicle as he was standing in the right lane of Route 33 eastbound near the state highway’s intersection with Woodward Road, according to Manalapan police.
Police said the man was struck by a 2009 Jeep that was being driven by a female resident of Matawan.
The man was transported to CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township, where he was pronounced dead at 11 p.m.
There are no sidewalks along Route 33.
As of Aug. 31, police had not released the name of the pedestrian or the driver and said an investigation into the deadly interaction between man and machine was continuing.
Less than a year ago, on Oct. 22, 2014, Richard Cashwell Jr., 67, of Manalapan, was struck by a vehicle and killed as he attempted to cross Route 33 on foot, also near Woodward Road.
The two men had one thing in common — both were residents of Marianne Manor, a licensed residential healthcare facility operated by the state that is on Route 33 east, not far from Woodward Road, Manalapan.
Manalapan police confirmed that Cashwell was a resident of Marianne Manor.
Lisa Ryan, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), said the staff at Marianne Manor notified the DCA that a resident of their facility was killed in a fatal motor vehicle accident on Aug. 25 — the night of the 60-year-old man’s death.
Manalapan municipal officials are aware that residents of Marianne Manor regularly walk along Route 33, cross the highway and sit or stand at the corner of Route 33 and Woodward Road, creating issues for motorists.
In recent years, a Walgreens pharmacy, a CVS pharmacy and a Wawa convenience store have opened at the intersection of Route 33 and Woodward Road.
Manalapan health officer Dave Richardson said Marianne Manor is approved to house 55 residents. As of July, 51 residents were living there.
“When residents are walking up and down the highway it creates a hazard to traffic and a danger to themselves, too,” Richardson said.
Manalapan Township Committeewoman Susan Cohen said the residents of Marianne Manor are allowed to come and go as they please. They receive room and board at the facility.
“They are constantly on (Route 33) because there is a Wawa, a CVS and a Walgreens right there,” Cohen said.
The DCA’s Ryan said, “We are awaiting the completion of the police report before reaching any conclusions about the (Aug. 25) accident and if there are any steps DCA can or should take to minimize any risk for residents” of Marianne Manor.
Thomas Mann, chief of staff for Assemblyman Robert Clifton, whose district includes Manalapan, said the Marianne Manor houses individuals with behavioral health issues. He said better supervision is needed to protect the residents inside and outside of the facility.
“People wander and get reported missing on a frequent basis,” Mann said. “Police officers are called to the facility on a regular basis and that takes a toll on resources and impacts the surrounding area.”
Mann said concerns regarding the facility are not new. He said there have been complaints from business operators who encounter the residents from time to time.
“You have police, ambulances, fire companies and emergency medical services that need to respond to calls regarding the residents and it impacts the community’s resources,” he said. “It does not add up, something is wrong and needs to be fixed.”
Richardson said municipal officials have been trying to get the state to address the situation at Marianne Manor, but have not gotten far.
Mann said the township’s concerns have been brought to the attention of the DCA.
“Last year we arranged for a meeting with the DCA,” he said. “During that meeting, our concern with the facility was not as well received as we thought it would be.”
The DCA oversees the administration and compliance of facilities like the Marianne Manor. Mann said it was perceived by the DCA as a “model facility.”
“I am not attacking them [DCA], but standards need to be improved. That is not a model facility,” he said.