Barnegat driver, youngster hurt in Stafford crash

A Barnegat woman and a seven-year-old boy are recovering in the aftermath of a Monday afternoon crash on Route 9 in Stafford that prompted police to cite her for driving violations.

Shannon M. Hartman, 30, was ticketed for careless driving and for improperly restraining the boy. She has a pending hearing in Stafford Municipal Court.

According to police, Hartman lost control of the car on a bend in the highway near Mayetta Landing Road, and the vehicle collided with a utility pole. The youngster was in the front seat.

Both suffered internal injuries, and the boy also sustained a back injury, police said. Various reports speculate on the relationship between the two, but authorities did not define their relationship.

She was admitted to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, and the child was flown by MONOC medevac chopper to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.

The crash forced a 45-minute shutdown of the highway in both directions. Stafford volunteer firefighters and EMS workers assisted police. The investigating officer is Patrolman Allen Jillson.