First deputy fire chief John Mego, who is slated to head the department in 2011, was struck by a car this morning.
Deputy fire chief John Mego is in critical but stable condition with a concussion and other injuries after being struck by a car while working as a crossing guard in this morning’s downpour.
Sources tell redbankgreen that Mego’s condition is not life-threatening.
A person who asked not to be named and was with Mego at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune this morning says he has a concussion, a broken arm, a spleen injury and facial cuts.
According to Councilman Art Murphy, who was nearby at the time of the accident, Mego was in “full flourescent” raingear during the downpour when he was sideswiped by a passing car.
“The (sideview) mirror caught him, spun him around, and he took it hard to the pavement,” knocking him unconscious, Murphy said.
The driver of the car, 47-year-old John Yrjanainen of Red Bank, was issued summonses for careless driving and failure to heed a stop signal, police said.
Mego, of Spring Street, has been a member of the fire department for 42 years, says Murphy. Just last week, he moved up to first deputy chief, putting him in line to head the department in 2011, following the coming term of Alan Soden.
Mego’s in his second year as a crossing guard. He was working the intersection of Maple Avenue and Peters Place when hit by a northbound vehicle.
Crossing guard Carl Colmorgen, who works the intersection of Broad Street and Reckless Place, says “in weather conditions like we had out there this morning, it’s always scary, but especially on Maple.”
