Crime & Safety

Update: Police Provide Details on Head-On Collision

Accident near White Birch Road.

Two people were injured Wednesday in a head-on collision at the intersection of West Hanover Avenue and White Birch Road in Morris Township.

Capt. Rich Ferrone of the Morris Township Police Department said both drivers were taken to the hospital, but their injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.

Ferrone said that Hermite Octavius of Newark was traveling west on Hanover Avenue when, unable to brake behind a car that had stopped to turn left onto White Birch Road, she swerved into oncoming traffic. Her Toyota Yaris collided with the second vehicle, a Jeep driven by Richard Kunz of Parsippany.

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Octavius' car had an airbag that deployed and she was wearing a seatbelt. Kunz was wearing a seat belt as well, but his car, a 1992 model, did not have an airbag.

Ferrone said that police are continuing to investigate the crash; two lanes were closed for a time as the investigation took place Wednesday. 

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Peter Augensen, who lives on Hanover Avenue near the site of the crash, said that he had arrived home in the aftermath of the accident and had seen the drivers taken to the hospital. He said drivers often speed on the busy roadway.  

“They come flying down this road,” he said. “The speed limit is 45 here and the people are driving 55 or 60.”


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