Tragedy Strikes Again: Yet Another Fatal Crash in Middletown Kills a Young Man

Flowers sat at the base of a mangled tree on Nut Swamp Road Friday afternoon — the memorial marker of yet another fatal accident in Middletown within a few days.

This time, the fatality involved only the driver of the car, who was identified as Jonathan Hendler, 24, of the township, according to authorities' confirmation.

Sunday morning's involved three 18-year-old young men who crashed into a tree on in the early morning hours. The impact severed the 1992 Honda Accord driven by Adam Sofia, Red Bank, killing front passenger Paul Bradley, of Middletown. It is being investigated "particularly for alcohol impairment and/or excessive speed," according to Monmouth County Deputy Assistant Prosecutor Michael Cunningham.

While Friday's Nut Swamp Road accident also involved a collision with trees (a few of them in this incident), authorities have not yet publicly speculated what, if any, extenuating circumstances may have contributed to it or are being looked into.

News of the accident came over the The Breaking News Network (BNN) Friday morning at 2:22 a.m., saying only that a vehicle was overturned on the road and there was an "entrapment" and unknown extent or number of injuries. The call, however, came in as one from Red Bank. There were no further BNN reports.

According to authorities, the accident is under investigation by Middletown police and detectives in the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. It is standard procedure for the Prosecutor's Office to investigate any fatality.

Patch will keep you updated as more details of the incident are received. According to Middletown Township Police Department officials, Lt. John Maguire, commander of the department's Traffic Bureau has the authority to provide more information when it becomes available. To see what Maguire told the Asbury Park Press so far, click here.