Car crash knocks out power, closes off downtown Toms River road

🚔 Car crash in downtown Toms River closes road for the next 24 hours

🚔 Bayville man charged after knocking down utility pole on Water Street in Toms River

🚔 Toms River Police charge Bayville man with DUI after crash that knocks out power

UPDATE: Crews worked through the night and Water Street in Toms River was re-opened by Tuesday morning.

Toms River Police have charged a Bayville man with DUI among other offenses after a Monday afternoon car crash that knocked out a utility pole and shut down the road.

Police said that Richard Heaney, 56, was driving eastbound along Water Street when he lost control of his pickup truck and crashed into a utility pole before stopping in a parking lot along East Water Street around 3:30 p.m. Monday.

After crashing into the utility pole, Heaney had several live cable/power lines wrapped around his truck and the ones that weren't, started burning across Water Street.

Heaney was injured in the crash that knocked out power in the area and shut down a large portion of Water Street including at the Hooper Avenue and Robbins Street intersections.

The Ocean County Sheriff's Office sent out alerts on the crash including a notification at 4:37 p.m. Monday that Water Street from Robbins Street to Hooper Avenue will be closed for 24 hours.

Toms River police said workers remain on scene.

Heaney was arrested following the crash and charged by Toms River police with careless driving, reckless driving, failure to maintain a lane, and driving under the influence.

The accident remains under investigation.

Toms River Police Department - Photo: Toms River Police Department Facebook page/Canva

Help Find These 62 Missing New Jersey Children

NJ arrests 31 accused child predators in Operation 24/7

A roundup of 31 men have been accused of sexually exploiting children online, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced on July 14 while detailing "Operation 24/7."

The suspects “possessed and or distributed videos and images of child sexual abuse, including in many cases videos of young children being raped by adults,” Grewal said.

Chat apps and gaming platforms remain favorite hunting grounds for child predators and even as the pandemic winds down, many children have continued to spend more time online.

State Police received 39% more tips in just the first 6 months of 2021 than they received in the entire year in 2019. The following are suspects charged in "Operation 24/7."