Lakewood couple hospitalized after Manchester chain collision

A husband and wife from Lakewood sustained serious injuries, caught up in a four-car chain collision in Manchester Wednesday.

Mary and Charles Brucato, both 62, were airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune in the aftermath of the crash on Route 37 at Commonwealth Boulevard at about 5:39 PM, according to township police. She was admitted in critical condition, he was admitted in serious condition, police said.

Mrs. Brancato was stopped in eastbound traffic in the right lane when a Ford F-150 pickup driven by Michael Caprio, 19, of Manchester, impacted the rear of her car, police said.

The force of the impact propelled her car forward into the rear of a Kia Soul driven by Kenneth Jacobs, 60, of Holiday City Berkeley. The Kia then lurched forward into the rear of a Subaru WRX, driven by Charles Approvato, 20, of Toms River, police said.

Caprio was driven by ambulance to Community Medical Center in Toms River for examination and treatment of head and neck pain, police said. No other injuries were reported.

Police closed the investigation after establishing that no drivers were distracted by handheld communication devices or cell phones. A police spokesman said that a sluggish start to the line of traffic on the green signal contributed to the crash. Police had not filed charges against Caprio, but indicated that charges are still possible.

The incident caused a diversion off the highway for several hours. Manchester firefighters and first aiders, MONOC paramedics, investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor's and Sheriff's offices, and a New Jersey Department of Transportation incident team aided police in crash response.