Police Lights (Photo: Jason Rojas/Flickr)
An 81-year-old Toms River man did not survive the trauma of being hit by a car this weekend.
Joseph Bartolotta, who was walking in the area of Whitter Avenue and Longfellow Avenue, was struck at about 7:20 p.m. Saturday by a 1995 BMW being driven by Nicholas Franklin, 19, police said. Both men were Toms River residents.
According to police, Bartolotta had just left his residence on Longfellow Avenue to walk his Jack Russell Terrier. He was presumably crossing the intersection southbound on Longfellow Avenue when he was struck, said police spokesman Ralph Stocco.
Bartolotta was taken to an area hospital by medevac helicopter where he died overnight as a result of his injuries. His dog was also injured and taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment. The condition of the dog is not known, Stocco said.
The crash is being investigated by Toms River Police Traffic Safety Officer Adam Keoppen as well as members of the Ocean County Prosecutors Office and Ocean County Sheriff’s Department. The incident remains under investigation and no charges have been filed as of Sunday, Stocco said.
