Dump truck driver issued summonses in Route 29 crash
HOPEWELL » The dump truck driver who collided with a Ford Crown Victoria Monday killing two people in the car has been issued motor vehicle offenses.
Officials have also identified the driver of the car as 42-year-old Arthur Reed.
Reed, of Lambertville, was driving on Route 29 with 58-year-old Mark Leary Sr. as a passenger when the car they occupied collided with a dump truck being driven by James Bilton, of Edgewater Park.
Police say the investigation found that Bilton was traveling northbound while the other car was traveling southbound. The vehicles collided in the southbound lane, causing them to hit a stone wall along the shoulder of the roadway. Both vehicles and a utility pole caught fire. No other vehicles were involved.
Bilton, 59, was issued motor vehicle summonses for failure to maintain a lane and careless driving.
Leary was a member of the Lambertville Fire Department for over 40 years and a former United States Marine, according to a GoFundMe page seeking memorial funds. As of press time, the fundraiser had surpassed its goal of $5,000.
“Mark will always be remembered as a dedicated husband, loving father, and an outstanding community servant who always put others before himself,” the page says.
Reed’s GoFundMe page had reached half of its $5,000 goal, as of press time.
“Any donation is appreciated as he didn’t have health insurance or life insurance policy,” Reed’s page says. “We are very saddened by the loss of two of the kindest men in our community.”