Chain collision in Manahawkin hospitalizes three

Three people undergo hospital treatment after a Tuesday morning three-car chain collision near the Causeway Bridge on Route 72 in Stafford.

Clearing the vehicles from the spot at milepost 28 required full closure of the eastbound and westbound lanes, according to police. It was reported at 7:48 AM.

Police said that a pickup truck driven by Christopher Potts, 42, of Manahawkin, was stopped in heavy traffic when it was rear-ended by a vehicle driven by Thomas Bernabeo, 76, also of Manahawkin.

The sudden impact resulted in Bernabeo's vehicle being struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Kathy Guerrero, 46, of Tuckerton, police said.

Bernabeo and his wife Patricia Ann, 74, were treated for chest pains at Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, where Potts was treated for a lower back injury, police said.