Teen dies in crash on Rt. 34 in Wall

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Several people hurt in 4 vehicles
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 06/11/07
BY SHRUTI L. MATHUR
STAFF WRITER

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WALL — A 17-year-old driving the wrong way on Route 34 died after crashing into an oncoming vehicle, causing several other cars to crash and injuring several people, including a 2-year-old boy, early Saturday morning.

Neils Vasquez, of Lakewood was driving a 1987 Ford van southbound in the northbound lanes of Route 34, just south of Atlantic Avenue, when he crashed head-on into a 2000 Chrysler Concorde around 1:30 a.m., according to Wall police.

The accident caused a Nissan Pathfinder and a Honda Civic, also in the northbound lanes, to hit the Concorde, said Peter Warshaw, the first assistant Monmouth County prosecutor.

Vasquez was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in his car, Maria Rojos, 20, of Lakewood and Vasquez's 2-year-old son, both of whom were not wearing seat belts, were taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Their conditions could not be determined Sunday night.

Warshaw said he was unsure of the nature of the relationship between Vasquez and Rojos.

The 19-year-old driving the Concorde and his 30-year-old female passenger were both taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, according to Warshaw, who said he would not release their names pending notification of family members.

The 19-year-old woman driving the 2002 Nissan Pathfinder that hit the back of the Concorde and her 27-year-old male passenger were both treated and released at Ocean Medical Center in Brick. A 24-year-old female driving the Honda Civic that hit the Pathfinder did not need hospitalization, though the car sustained minor damage, Warshaw said.

The accident caused all northbound and southbound lanes of Route 34 between Atlantic Avenue and Paynters Road to be closed for four hours during the investigation and cleanup.

Warshaw said he wasn't sure if an autopsy was complete and said toxicology reports will take several weeks. He said it did not appear that Vasquez was racing, but was unsure if excessive speed was a factor in the accident.

The crash is still under investigation by the Prosecutor's Office, Wall police and the county Serious Collision and Accident Reconstruction Team.

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