No criminal charges against driver in Ocean City crash that killed Lansdale man
Ocean City has made some changes at the intersection where Thomas Gibbons Jr. was fatally injured over the Memorial Day weekend.
The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office said it will file no criminal charges against the motorist who struck and killed a 47-year-old Lansdale man crossing Bay Avenue in Ocean City over the Memorial Day weekend.
The man, Thomas F. Gibbons Jr., was attempting to cross an intersection his stepfather later described as “a kill zone,” despite its “pastoral” appearance, when he was struck by a car making a left turn onto Bay about 5:30 p.m. May 24.
His wife was also injured, while their two teenage daughters watched from behind.
The driver, identified by prosecutors as Barbara L. Myers, 49, of Woodbine, N.J., was issued two motor vehicle summonses for failure to yield to a pedestrian and one summons for careless driving, which the prosecutor said would be handled in Ocean City Municipal Court.
But no additional criminal charges will be pursued, said Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland.
» READ MORE: Ocean City intersection was a ‘kill zone’ stepdad says
Myers was driving a white Jeep Cherokee when it struck Gibbons and his wife.
Gibbons’ stepfather, John Albert, urged Ocean City officials in June to reconfigure the intersection to prevent pedestrians from being given the right of way even as motorists have a green light to make a left turn toward the Ninth Street Bridge. Numerous neighbors also attended the City Council meeting to attest to close calls at the spot.
In recent weeks, barrier poles on the sidewalk and additional signs have been installed at the intersection, and officials have removed the crosswalk lines on the south side of the intersection, all to shift pedestrians to cross on the north side, away from the motorists turning left toward the bridge.
The investigation was conducted by Ocean City police and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, with assistance from the New Jersey State Police.