Artcle in APP about my previous post
14-year-old hit by van, killed
Unclear why autistic boy was on Rt. 36
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 02/17/06
BY A. SCOTT FERGUSON AND BRIAN LEE
STAFF WRITERS
MIDDLETOWN - A van on Thursday struck and killed a 14-year-old autistic boy from Keansburg, who was described by his mother as active, independent and "very affectionate, very loving."
Benjamin Heuer's parents and township police said they were trying to determine why the teenager was walking near busy Route 36 early Thursday morning when he was hit.
"He just got out and didn't come home," said his mother, Faith Heuer. "I have no idea what he was doing up that far. I guess he just went walking. I don't know.
"It's not something he's done in years," Heuer said. "He did it at night, but he hasn't night-wandered in years."
After the crash, the driver of the van remained at the scene, and witnesses dialed 911 to alert police. Benjamin was then flown by State Police helicopter to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he was pronounced dead Thursday morning, Sgt. William Colangelo of the department's Traffic Safety Bureau said.
"Right now, we are trying to investigate all aspects of the crash," Colangelo said, adding that investigators were still looking for anyone who may have witnessed the 5:20 a.m. crash.
In addition to township police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, Colangelo said the state Division of Youth and Family Services would be contacted to assist in the investigation because Benjamin was autistic.
"He's not quite high functioning. He was nonverbal but very independent," Heuer said. "He did what he wanted basically."
Heuer said her son, unlike some autistic children, "wanted to be held; he wanted to be loved. He loved the physical contact."
Benjamin, who had participated in Special Olympics, also enjoyed sing-along tapes, his guitar, reading and shopping, his mother said.
"Obviously, he loved taking walks. Any mode of transportation," she said. "As long as he was doing something, he was happy. He just wanted to be out."
The teenager had been reported missing by his family early that morning, Deputy Keansburg Police Chief James Pigott said, adding that police were notified about the fatal crash soon after officers began searching for Benjamin.
The crash happened near an Academy Bus stop on Route 36, and many of the first people to report the crash were commuters who were taking buses to North Jersey and New York City, Colangelo said.
Police were looking to speak to several witnesses Thursday night and today, but they were still seeking information from anyone else who may have witnessed the crash.
From what investigators were able to piece together by Thursday afternoon, it appears that Thomas A. Burke, a 27-year-old township resident, was driving his 2002 white Ford van in the westbound lanes of Route 36 near Main Street when he struck the teenager.
There were no reports of the roadways being icy Thursday morning, but Colangelo said investigators were looking into a number of factors, including weather conditions and the nearby traffic signal, as well as the actions of the driver and the teenager.
"We don't know exactly what happened, and that's why we need to talk to witnesses," Colangelo added.
Portions of Route 36 were closed for about two hours Thursday morning while police finished their investigation.
The intersection where Thursday's crash happened, in the township's Port Monmouth section, has had few serious crashes in the past.