by Patricia A. Miller

It's been more than two months since Neil Van De Putte died on Lacey Road when he was struck by a Lacey police officer responding to another call. But the investigation into Van De Putte's death is still ongoing, Ocean County Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Al Della Fave said.



"We will never predict or place a time frame on the resolution of a case," Della Fave said. " When our full review is complete, we will provide appropriate details." The case was handed over to the Prosecutor's Office since the accident involved a Lacey Township police officer. The Major Crimes/Fatal Accident Investigation Unit, the Toms River police Departmen and the Ocean County Sheriff's Department CSI are investigating.

A preliminary investigation determined that Van De Putte, 25, was crossing against the traffic signal at 3:25 a.m. in a northerly direction from the south side of Lacey Road at the Deerhead Lake Road intersection when he was struck by a Lacey patrol car responding to another call, Della Fave has said. Patrolman Andrew Slota was traveling east on Lacey Road on his way to the call when his patrol car struck Van De Putt, Della Fave said.

"Witness information indicates Officer Slota initially took evasive action to avoid striking the pedestrian," Della Fave has said. "However, Van De Putte was struck by the front passenger side of the patrol vehicle. After impact, Slota's patrol vehicle struck a utility pole on the westbound side of the road coming to a final rest in the bank parking lot adjacent to the roadway."



Van De Putte was pronounced dead at the scene by Dr. Konomos from Newark Beth Israel at 3:47 am. Slota was taken to Community Medical Center, where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

