In Brick, 97-year-old driver dies after police say his car crossed in front of Escalade SUV

⚠️ A 97-year-old Brick driver died after his Hyundai crossed into oncoming traffic.

➡️ The SUV driver, a 36-year-old woman, was hospitalized with minor injuries.

🔴 Police closed Drum Point Road for about five hours while investigators processed the crash.

BRICK — A 97-year-old driver has died after local police said his car crossed into the path of an oncoming SUV.

Brick Township Police responded to the crash on Monday after 7 p.m. at the intersection of Drum Point Road and Johnson Road.

Deadly crash closes stretch of Drum Point Road for five hours

Frank Pugliese, of Brick, died at the scene while the other driver was taken to a local hospital for treatment of what police said was minor injuries.

Investigators found that Pugliese was driving east along Drum Point in a 2024 Hyundai Elantra, when the car crossed the painted center median and crashed with a 2026 Cadillac Escalade, driven by a 36-year-old woman, also of Brick.

Brick Township intersection of Drum Point Road and Johnson Road Google Maps - 1

Brick police seek witnesses after fatal crash

Police did not disclose any possible cause for the crash, as part of the preliminary investigation.

Drum Point Road was closed in both directions for about five hours, as investigators processed the scene.

On Tuesday, police asked that anyone who witnessed the crash or with potentially helpful information contact Ptl. Vincent Rustico at 732-262-1093.

Read More: Lavallette crash kills NJ firefighter's wife at restaurant

Emergency response at Meg's Griill on Grand Central Ave in Lavallette after a car went through the front of the restaurant Sat., Sept. 19, 2026

The Brick tragedy happened little more than a week after a 93-year-old driver killed a pedestrian and hurt several others after lurching into a popular restaurant in Lavallette.

Lavallette Police said the female driver told them she mistakenly pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake while trying to park in front of Meg's Grill on Grand Central Avenue on Sept. 19.

Read More: Lavallette NJ restaurant crash: Driver faces no charges

The victim, 56-year-old Ursula "Sandie" Keating, was mourned as a devoted family woman.

In that case, prosecutors declined to file additional charges beyond a traffic ticket for careless driving. Police did submitted a request to the state Motor Vehicle Commission for a driver re-examination.

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