Newark man freezes to death under pile of snow

NEWARK — A homeless man who lived in a city park froze to death under a mound of snow Monday morning.

It was one of two rescues reported during the major snow storm this week.

Police said a witness flagged down a patrol vehicle near Lincoln Park around 9:40 a.m. As heavy snow fell, officers tried to revive the man before he was hospitalized at University Hospital with severe hypothermia.

The man is believed to have been homeless and was likely sleeping in the park, according to police. His identity has not been released pending notification of family.

The city activated its Code Blue program with emergency shelters available for vulnerable populations.

Newark police did not immediately return New Jersey 101.5's request for more information on Wednesday afternoon.

Also on Monday, Keyport police Chief Shannon Torres and Union Beach officers worked together to help an elderly Union Beach man whose car got stuck in flood waters on Broadway in Union Beach.

Police said the man, who was showing signs of hypothermia, was unable to use his hands because of the cold. He was hospitalized at Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel.

While much of New Jersey received the most snow in several years, many roads along the shoreline became flooded during high tides, according to New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ