Police to conduct safety traffic checks Saturday in Ocean County (original) (raw)

June 6, 2026Updated June 8, 2026, 5:32 a.m. ET

Police officers across New Jersey will be on high alert Saturday for cars who fail to abide by the state's Move Over Law as part of a statewide traffic detail, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

The traffic detail will take place starting at 7 a.m. Saturday, June 6. Participating agencies will focus on roads listed in the High Injury Network, which identifies New Jersey roads with the highest injury rates, according to Matthew Menosky, a traffic safety officer for the Holmdel Township Police Department.

Holmdel Patrolman Matthew Menosky, who started the traffic enforcement program, Goal: Zero, in honor of his friend's brother who was killed at the age of 16 by a drunk driver in Middletown, stands along Route 35 North in Holmdel, NJ Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Fourteen police agencies will take part in the traffic enforcement detail along Route 35 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27.

Roads in Ocean and Monmouth County listed under the High Injury Network can be found online. These include:

Route 9 in Freehold;
Route 35 in Asbury Park;
Route 9 in Lakewood;
Route 35 in Seaside Heights;
Ocean Terrace in Seaside Heights;
Lacey Road in Forked River;
Route 70 in Lakewood;
Main Street, Ocean Avenue in Lakewood;
New Hampshire Road in Lakewood;
Cedarbridge Avenue in Lakewood; and
County Line Road in Lakewood.

This comes as part of the Goal: Zero initiative, which aims to increase awareness of the dangerous consequences of distracted and impaired driving throughout the state.

As of Thursday, June 4, 211 fatalities have occurred in New Jersey from 202 crashes. Of those, 18 occurred in Ocean county and 13 occurred in Monmouth County.

In 2024, Menosky created Goal: Zero in response to the death of his friend’s brother, John “Jack” Misdom Jr., who was fatally struck by a drunk driver in 1992. Since Goal Zero began, local officers have completed monthly traffic details to encourage safe driving practices.

Previous details have seen hundreds of local agencies participate, Menosky said. In May's detail, at least 104 police officers stopped 769 vehicles, citing violations such as speeding, improper seatbelt usage and using a cell phone while driving.

The Ocean County Police Department dedicates Saturday's traffic detail to State Trooper Marc Castellano. In 2010, Castellano was fatally struck alongside the shoulder of Interstate 95 while responding to a reported carjacking.

In response to Castellano's death, New Jersey introduced the Move Over Law, which requires vehicles to reduce speed and switch lanes when approaching a stopped emergency, service or disabled vehicle with hazard lights on.

"Since my son’s accident, I have been on a mission to educate the public about the Move Over Law," Donna Setaro, Castellano's mother wrote in a statement to the Asbury Park Press Friday. "This year's Goal: Zero Move Over Law initiative is invaluable and will continue to keep our first responders safe while they are working on the side of the road."

Setaro has advocated since 2011 for increased awareness about the Move Over Law alongside roadways.

In January 2025, then-Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill to implement the New Jersey Target Zero Action Plan, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and any other serious injuries among all road users by 2040. Policies included implementing the High Injury Network and installing new safety technology alongside the state's ten most dangerous intersections.

New Jersey has seen more than a 15% decrease in fatal crashes in the past couple years ― from 684 in 2024 to 578 in 2025, according to State Police records.

"Every choice behind the wheel matters," Menosky said in a statement to the Asbury Park Press. "Slow down, buckle up, put the phone away, drive responsibly and never drive impaired."