A 16-year-old Bridgewater-Raritan High School junior was critically injured Tuesday afternoon after he was struck by a pickup truck while crossing Route 22 near Bridgewater Commons Mall, on the very first day of the new school year. Angelo Baez was airlifted from the scene, and in the days since, friends and neighbors have rallied around him and his family, raising more than $29,000 toward his recovery.
According to Bridgewater Township Police, the crash happened around 4:13 p.m. in the westbound left lane of Route 22, roughly 100 feet west of the Commons Way exit ramp, when Baez ran south across the highway directly in front of a westbound truck. Police said Baez came to rest on the shoulder of Route 22 West before being airlifted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Bridgewater police identified the vehicle as a Ford F-250, while Daily Voice reported that authorities described the vehicle as a Ford F-150.
Baez had just wrapped up his first day back at Bridgewater-Raritan High School and had gone with classmates to get food at The Village at Bridgewater Commons before the crash, according to Patch. Daily Voice reports that Baez was struck after crossing the highway toward Somerville, and that his best friend and neighbor, Jude Alb, was with him when he was hit.
Friends Launch Fundraiser as Family Struggles
Alb created a GoFundMe fundraiser to assist Baez's mother, who Alb said will not be able to work while tending to her son. The campaign, which includes testimonials from Baez's friends, has raised more than $29,000. A friend identified only as Jacob described Baez as a brother and, per the same account, the strongest person he knows.
The crash remains under active investigation by the Traffic Safety Bureau, according to WRNJ Radio, which reported that Officer Cole Taggert is leading the case and has asked any witnesses to contact the department directly or through the local tips line.
A Dangerous Stretch of Highway
The crash occurred on an active section of Route 22 near an existing pedestrian overpass connecting Somerville to Bridgewater Commons, which planning records from the New Jersey Department of Transportation describe as providing pedestrian access. Under state traffic law, pedestrians crossing a highway separated by a median barrier outside designated crossings act unlawfully, and those crossing outside crosswalks bear a statutory duty to yield the right-of-way to oncoming vehicles, according to Justia Law.
The three-mile stretch of Route 22 between Route 202/206 and Interstate 287 experiences crash rates substantially higher than the statewide average, according to New Jersey Department of Transportation data cited by a project information site. Commercial redevelopment along the corridor near the mall has added new retail and dining destinations this year, increasing activity and vehicle turnarounds near Bridgewater Commons, according to Karen Gray Homes.
Part of a Wider Pattern of Serious Crashes
State officials proposed new interchange and corridor safety redesigns for Route 22 and Route 202/206 in Bridgewater last year to address the high crash rates and severe congestion, according to News 12 New Jersey. Statewide, pedestrian fatalities in New Jersey surpassed 200 in a single recent year, the highest annual total since 1988, according to New Jersey 101.5.
Just two weeks before the Bridgewater crash, a 56-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed on Route 22 West in nearby Watchung, resulting in hit-and-run charges against a Piscataway driver, as Hoodline previously reported. Baez's medical condition and the status of any citations stemming from Tuesday's crash have not been released, and his family and friends continue to lean on the GoFundMe campaign to cover costs during his recovery.
