Accident injures one, leaves trail of damage
john burton

The HubRED BANK — With Broad Street sidewalks crowded with lunchtime pedestrians, a car jumped the curb and drove the length of a block, causing property damage and injuring one person last Friday, police said.

At about noon, a car driven by Mary Plasky, 86, of the Lincroft section of Middletown, struck Kimberly Koenig, 32, of Oceanport while she was standing on the corner of Broad Street and Linden Place, Police Capt. Mark Fitzgerald said.

Plasky’s vehicle struck a parked minivan while attempting to leave a parking space in front of The Bon Ton department store on Broad Street. It then proceeded north on Broad Street, jumped the curb onto the sidewalk and hit a street light post after striking Koenig, Fitzgerald said.

Plasky’s vehicle continued along the sidewalk, hitting and knocking over two benches and a street light. It finally came to a stop after striking and damaging the traffic light on the north corner of Broad and Monmouth streets, according to Fitzgerald.

Koenig was transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, by the Red Bank First Aid Squad and was treated for a fractured leg and a laceration to the head, Fitzgerald said. She is listed as being in stable condition.

Plasky was taken to Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank, and was treated for lacerations of the face but was not admitted, according to a spokesperson at the medical center.

Traffic along Broad Street was disrupted and redirected for more than an hour, Fitzgerald said.

The cause of the accident is under investigation and no charges have been filed, Fitzgerald said.

The investigation is being conducted by Police Sgt. Darren McConnell and Patrolman Richard Mangold.

"We were lucky," Fitzgerald said. "Noontime on Broad Street is very busy. It’s amazing more people weren’t hurt."