An 88-year-old member of the Christian Brothers Academy community in Lincroft died when he was struck by a car at the edge of the campus Wednesday, according to a report by NJ.com.
Retired teacher Brother James Leahy was apparently beginning his daily walk along Newman Springs Road when he was stuck by a vehicle at the end of the campus driveway, according to the report.
“He was active, funny and had a great sense of humor,” CBA president Brother Frank Byrne told NJ.com. “He was 88 years old and still very active.”
From the report:
Releasing few details about the incident, Middletown police said Leahy was hit by a car in front of the school around 1:36 p.m.
The driver of the vehicle, Nicole Bruno, 25, of Manalapan, remained at the scene and has been cooperating, said Middletown Detective Lt. Paul Bailey.
Byrne said Leahy would sometimes walk the 3 miles of trails in Thompson Park, one of Monmouth County’s parks, across the street from CBA, and sometimes he’d venture into downtown Lincroft, a route that could take him at least an hour, Byrne said.
Leahy hadn’t yet crossed Newman Springs Road and was at the end of the school’s driveway when the crash occurred, Byrne said. That section of the road, he said, is particularly busy because of nearby Brookdale Community College.
“He’s probably crossed that road a thousand times in the 10 years he’s been down here,” Byrne said.
The Brooklyn-born cleric joined the Christian Brothers in 1944 and spent many years teaching elementary and high schools in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California. After his retirement from teaching at age 70, he spent nine years running a novitiate in Eritrea in East Africa before returning to the United States, Byrne told NJ.com, which has additional biographical information.
