Three Ocean County, NJ residents hospitalized following five vehicle crash in Whiting, NJ

An investigation is underway after three people were hospitalized following a five-car crash in the Whiting section of Manchester Township on Sunday.

We're learning some of the details stemming from a preliminary investigation completed by Manchester Township Police.

The accident occurred on Sunday morning around 10:53 am along Manchester Boulevard and Lacey Road in Whiting, police said, involving a gray 2010 Honda Accord, a blue 2018 Nissan Kick, a silver 2008 Saturn Aurora, a silver 2012 Toyota Tundra, and a gray 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe, all of which sustained significant damage in the collision.

Manchester Police said that their preliminary investigation learned that the driver of the Honda, 60-year-old David Williams of Jackson Township, was heading west on Manchester Boulevard and failed to stop for the traffic ahead of him and ended up rear ending the Nissan which forcibly went over the centerline into the eastbound lane while the Honda kept moving westbound.

From there, police said that the Honda crashed into the Saturn which then collided with the Toyota which then crashed into the Hyundai who all had been stopped at the red light traffic signal.

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Williams and the driver of the Nissan, 53-year-old Mary Ferguson of Toms River had to be airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for treatment of head injuries sustained in the crash, police said, while the driver of the Saturn, 26-year-old Dominque Swain of Toms River was brought to Community Medical Center by ambulance for treatment of neck and back injuries.

Police said that the driver of the Toyota, 67-year-old Tina Helbig of Manchester and her front seat passenger, 87-year-old Carolyn Helbig of Manchester refused medical attention as did the driver of the Hyundai, 73-year-old Beverly Muhammad of Whiting, and her front seat passenger, 83-year-old Abdul Muhammad of Whiting.

There was a 2-year-old boy and 13-year-old boy from Brick who were properly restrained in the Nissan as well but police said the parent declined medical attention.

There was a need to extricate the driver of the Nissan though, police said, as multiple air bags were deployed in this vehicle as well as the Honda and Saturn.

The crash remains under investigation by the Manchester Township Police Department.