A man was found dead in a Jackson Township roadway early Monday after officials said a dump truck ran over his body.
Police responded around 2:30 a.m. to South Hope Chapel Road for a report of a crash involving a pedestrian, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. Officers found a man in the roadway with significant head injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said a Mack dump truck was traveling north on South Hope Chapel Road when the driver attempted to avoid what he believed was debris in the road. The driver then realized it was a body and ran over the man despite trying to avoid him, officials said.
The driver stopped immediately and reported the incident to law enforcement. A post-crash inspection found no evidence that the front of the truck directly struck the pedestrian. Investigators said the evidence was consistent with the truck running over a body that was already in the roadway and dragging it a short distance.
The investigation is ongoing.