A 24-year-old former high school athlete and U.S. Marine from Brick Township died Saturday after a motorcycle crash at a busy intersection, police said.
William C. Swiderski was riding a red 2007 Honda CBR westbound on Route 37 around 3:20 p.m. when his motorcycle collided with a white 2020 Honda Accord traveling south on Colonial Drive, authorities said.
The impact sent the Accord off the road and caused the motorcycle to catch fire. Swiderski was thrown more than 140 feet and landed on the eastbound shoulder of Route 37, according to police. He was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he was pronounced dead.
The driver of the Accord, identified as 20-year-old Job Martinez del Villar of Manchester, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was also taken to the hospital for treatment.
Swiderski graduated from Brick Township High School in 2019, where he played lacrosse and hockey. After high school, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
In a social media tribute, the Brick Township High School Hockey program remembered him as a vibrant and outgoing teammate.
Police said speed and failure to obey a traffic signal appear to be contributing factors in the crash.
The investigation is being led by Patrolman Jesse Hoydis of the Manchester Township Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit.
Emergency responders from several agencies assisted at the scene. Route 37 remained closed for several hours during the investigation and cleanup.
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