2 injured when car hits shoppers, crashes into store

An 88-year-old woman crashed into a car and two shoppers before she crashed into a grocery store, authority said.

Two people were injured Friday when a car struck another car and two shoppers at a grocery store in Brick Township, police said (Courtesy of Jersey Shore Scanner News) 

BRICK TOWNSHIP -- Two people were injured when a driver crashed into a car and two shoppers before slamming into the front of a grocery store in Brick on Friday morning, authorities said.

One of the shoppers was rushed by helicopter to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune after the 10:57 a.m. incident outside the Shop-Rite grocery store in the Kohl's Plaza on Route 70, said Sgt. Neal Pedersen, traffic safety supervisor.

Pedersen said Vincenza Riccio, 88, of Brick was driving a 1998 Toyota Corolla in one of the parking aisles when she crashed into a 1998 Hyundai Sonata driven by Francis Gagliano, 86, of Toms River. Gagliano was driving in the same aisle but in the opposite direction of Riccio, Pedersen said. Besides hitting Gagliano's car, Riccio also hit a shopper who was pushing a shopping cart alongside Gagliano and in the same direction of his Hyundai, Pedersen said.

Riccio's car then ran up onto the walkway in front of the grocery store and hit another shopper pushing a cart before crashing into the building, Pedersen said.

The shopper in the parking lot was identified as Joel Strasser, 77, of Brick. He suffered no injuries, Pedersen said.

The shopper in front of the store, Elizabeth Simpson, 90, of Lakewood, sustained a leg injury and was airlifted to Jersey Shore, he said.

Riccio, who may have sustained internal injuries, was taken by ambulance to the same hospital, he said.

Stations 21 and 22 of Brick's fire department responded to the scene along with Brick Township First Aid and MONOC medics, he said.

An inspector from the township's building department checked the building and determined it to be safe, Pedersen said.

The Traffic Safety Division is investigating the crash and is urging anyone who may have witnessed the crash to call 732-262-1143.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.