Pedestrian Struck Early Sunday on Route 571

A Lakewood man suffered a head injury after being struck by a Jackson driver while attempting to cross a county roadway near the Manchester-Jackson border early Sunday morning.

In a press release, Manchester Police Capt. Lisa Parker said that as Christopher Barelas, 25, of Lakewood, attempted to cross County Route 571 at 1:33 a.m. Sunday morning he was struck by a 2003 Ford Taurus driven by Amanda Scott, 20, of Jackson. 

Barelas, who was walking alongside the road with a group, tried to cross the road mid-block at a section with no crosswalk when hit, Parker said.

The crash occurred west of the intersection of County Routes 547 and 571, near Manchester's border with Jackson.

Parker said that Barelas was treated at the scene by the Manchester First Aid Squad and MONOC paramedics for a head injury. He was taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune for further evaluation. Scott was not injured.

Poor nighttime visibility may have been a factor, according to police.

"[Barelas] was wearing dark colored clothing and there is little street lighting in the area of the crash," Parker said in the release.

Manchester Police Ptl. Paul S. Bachovchin is investigating the crash, Parker said. Detective Matt Scutti of the Ocean County Sheriff's Department, Criminal Investigation Unit, also assisted at the scene.

Police did not announce any charges in the crash.