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A (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
After a week in which trees toppled across Red Bank from a severe thunderstorm, Sunday morning saw another tree taken down, this time by a driver who crashed smack into it while driving on Rector Place.
Red Bank Police Chief Mike Frazee said the driver, who may have fallen asleep at the wheel, was given a summons for careless driving.
The 6:50 am crash was captured by the doorbell camera of resident Jennifer Wojcio, who said the incident highlights residents’ growing concern with speeding and bad driving along the stretch of roadway.
“As a parent of 2-year-old twins, I am deeply troubled by increasing danger posed by speeding vehicles,” she wrote in an email to redbankgreen. “Our street is short and situated between two traffic lights, making it a convenient cut-through for drivers rushing to beat the train or get onto Route 35. This has turned our street into a dangerous zone for our children.”
Wojcio said residents have lobbied for speed humps or other traffic slowing measures, but the issue is complicated because the road is managed by Monmouth County, with any changes needing to be approved and funded by the County Board of Commissioners.
In response to concerns, Frazee said the Red Bank Police Department will be putting out a traffic counter on the street to study the rate and speed of traffic. This gathers data on the speed and number of vehicles in both directions to gauge the extent of the problem.
The crash on Rector Place shredded the 20 mph speed limit sign. (photo courtesy of Jennifer Wojcio)
At a community meeting earlier this month at the Red Bank Senior Center, Police Chief Mike Frazee delivered some eye-popping statistics on the humans behaving badly on Red Bank roadways.
As of the June 4 meeting, he said the police had responded to 372 motor vehicle crashes. The twelve-month total for 2024, he said was 817.
Also in 2024 police had issued 7,125 summonses, including 1,876 for moving violations.
Red Bank is not alone, as the nation is experiencing a years-long increase in reckless and inattentive driving, with deadly consequences.
In New Jersey, the problem shows no signs of slowing down.
The state as a whole is well on its way to blowing past its alarming total of 308 traffic fatalities in 2024. With the year not yet half over, 224 people have been killed on New Jersey roads, according to NJ State Police statistics. 2024’s total was already a 26 percent increase over the year previous year.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331 or yelling his name loudly as he walks by. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
