Crime & Safety

Driver Dies After Van Hits Car, Crashes Fence, Enters Backyard Pool in Manalapan

First responders rush to accident off Taylor Mills Road in Manalapan to find the victim unconscious.

A tragic scene unfolded today when a 49-year old man from Marlboro died after the van he was driving would up submerged in an in-ground swimming pool off Taylor Mills Road in Manalapan following a crash, police said. 

The man, identified by police as Robert S. Koenig, may have suffered some kind of a medical incident, said Captain Michael Fountain. The accident and cause of death are under police investigation.

Manalapan Police got a call at 2:20 p.m. on Saturday reporting that a Toyota Sienna was partially submerged in the pool in the backyard of a Meadow Lane home, which is adjacent to Taylor Mills Road. 

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Manalapan Police Officer Kyle Earley Ross Dessel, Sgt. Maggie Freeman and Gordon’s Corner Assistant Fire Chief Paulie Kwiecinski got into the pool to free Koenig, the only occupant of the car, police said. 

At the same time, several Cablevision workers who were on a job nearby helped out by keeping the van afloat during the rescue by supporting the vehicle with 2 x 4s, police said. 

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When Koenig was freed from the vehicle and removed from the pool, police say he was unconscious and not breathing.  Manalapan firefighters, Manalapan First Aid members and MONOC paramedics administered first aid and CPR. He was transported to CentraState Medical in Freehold.  

But at 3:45 p.m., Koenig was pronounced deceased at the hospital.

From evidence at the scene, police believe that Koenig was travelling west on Taylor Mills Road when his van struck a parked car on Taylor Mills Road, left the roadway, entered the back yard of a residence on Meadow Lane, crashed through a vinyl fence and then fell into the pool.  

The investigation continues by Det Dominick Donatelli and Ptl. Kevin McIntosh of the Manalapan Police Department Traffic Safety Unit, as well as the cause of death. 

Police say it is possible that Koenig suffered a medical episode prior to striking the parked car and crashing into the pool.       

 


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