Motorcyclist flown to trauma center after hitting deer
A Whiting man was airlifted to the Jersey Shore University Medical Center after colliding with a deer in Manchester Township on May 25, 2023. At approximately 7:41 pm that evening, the Manchester Township Police Department received a report of a motorcycle collision with injuries. Officers who arrived at the scene near the Route 539 and Harry Wright Boulevard discovered a heavily damaged black 2021 Suzuki GSXR 750 motorcycle leaning against a utility pole, and the male operator laying several hundred feet away with severe injuries.
Upon conducting an investigation, the officers discovered that the operator of the motorcycle, identified as 18-year-old Jose Vergara Suarez of Manchester, was traveling north on Route 539 when three deer suddenly entered the roadway from the west. The collision caused the operator to lose control, resulting in him being ejected from the motorcycle, and the motorcycle sliding for several hundred feet, sheering off the base of a traffic sign before coming to a stop against the base of a utility pole.
Suarez, who was wearing a DOT helmet, suffered severe internal injuries and needed to be transported to the Jersey Shore University Medical Center by medevac helicopter. Fortunately, Suarez was later discharged from the hospital, while the deer met with a tragic fate and died upon impact.
At the scene, members of the Whiting Volunteer Fire Department, Whiting Volunteer Fire Police, Manchester Emergency Medical Services, and Paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson provided assistance. The crash remains under investigation by Sergeant Ian Bole of the Manchester Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit.
A photograph shared by the Manchester PD shows the heavily-damaged Suzuki motorcycle and the location of the accident. Given that motorcyclists are notably more vulnerable to accidents, particularly involving wild animals who can make sudden appearances on roads, drivers should always stay attentive and cautious while driving, and take steps to ensure their safety, such as wearing helmets and following road safety regulations.
