5 hospitalized after Route 539 crash in Manchester

Five people are recovering from a Thursday afternoon crash, which involved a pedestrian, in Manchester.

Adriano Fernando Placencia, 39, of Bremerton, Washington, was clipped when one of two cars spun off Route 539 and into a driveway, according to township police. The careening car hit a third vehicle in the driveway.

Investigators surmised that a black 2014 Mazda CX5, driven on the southbound side by Kiersten L. Hughes, 22, of Whiting, turned left on Route 539 near Grant Avenue to enter a driveway. The Mazda crossed the northbound lane, into the path of a green 2002 Toyota Sienna driven by Lois T. Stuller, 80, of Princeton Junction.

Struck on the passenger side, the Mazda spun clockwise into the driveway, hitting Placencia and a parked Cadillac Escalade. Placencia sustained head cuts, arm injuries and possibly internal injuries, police said.

Placencia, Hughes and her passenger, a 15-year-old, were treated at Community Medical Center in Toms River. Stuller and her passenger, Katherine E. Reed, 78, of West Windsor, were taken to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin.

Police said that the drivers and passengers in both cars wore seat restraints, and that air bags deployed in both vehicles.

Quality Medical Transport responders delivered the crash victims to hospitalization. Followup investigations are being conducted by Patrolman Michael O'Hara and Sergeant Antonio Ellis.