Pedestrian killed while crossing Route 36
By elaine van develde
Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — No matter what the surrounding circumstances, when it comes to traffic and pedestrians, police have one salient plea for the general populace — whether walking or navigating a vehicle, exercise caution.

The plea comes on the heels of the second fatal pedestrian crossing accident in Middletown in two months. Though one situation had nothing more than a few basic components in common with the other, Middletown Police Traffic Safety Supervisor Detective Frederick Henry contends, without casting blame on driver or pedestrian at all, "Cars are supposed to watch out for people and people are also supposed to watch out for cars."

According to Henry, on Dec. 3, Robert Marton, 59, of 352 Main St., Port Monmouth, was crossing Route 36 from the north to the south side against a red light, when a car driven by Roger Cruz, 63, of 1 Scenic Dr., Highlands, struck Marton.

Marton was transported to Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank, where he was pronounced dead.

The latest crossing fatality, which occurred at Wilson Avenue on Route 36 at 6:28 p.m., followed another somewhat similar fatality that happened about a mile away on Route 36 Oct. 11. The Oct. 11 incident, though, was a hit-and-run involving pedestrian Kenneth Bozeman, 36, Ohio Avenue, who was crossing the highway to get to his bus stop when he was hit by a truck which was turning off Thompson Avenue onto Route 36, according to witnesses.

Henry made it clear that while the Dec. 3 accident is still under investigation and routine toxicology reports were ordered, at this time there is no reason to believe either party was at fault.

The only factor that police see as any sort of contributor was that it was dark at the time and the pedestrian (Marton) was walking against a red light.

Cruz was not found to be speeding or guilty of any other infraction. He was not issued any summonses.

Conceding that the Dec. 3 incident was coincidentally close in location to the Oct. 11 tragedy, Henry said, "Neither are a notorious spot for accidents, but they are busy stretches of highway. Both were just such a tragedy."

In the Dec. 3 accident, the Cruz had the green light. "When you have the green light," Henry added, "generally the expectation is that the highway will be clear. That’s not always enough. In this particular circumstance the pedestrian was not in the crosswalk (where he’d have the right of way). He was controlled by the light. There’s no real way or desire to cast blame. Pedestrians and drivers both have to exercise extra caution. Both always have to take care to watch out for one another."

Henry and officer James Roese are in charge of the investigation.