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Hardwick Man Killed in Blairstown Crash

May 21, 2025

Screenshot — Jay Mena, the owner of Buck Hill Brewery and Restaurant died in a one-vehicke crash early Monday. Photo courtesy of Newbaker Funeral Home.

A Hardwick Township man died early Monday morning after the SUV he was driving veered off a roadway, struck a utility pole and overturned in Blairstown Township.

The driver, identified as 60-year-old Jay Mena of Hardwick Township, sustained serious injuries in the crash and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died, according to New Jersey State Police spokesperson Sergeant Jeffrey Lebron.

New Jersey State Police said troopers responded at 2:26 a.m. to the scene of the crash on Millbrook Road. According to a preliminary investigation, a Mazda CX-90 was traveling northbound when it left the roadway to the left, went down an embankment, struck a utility pole and overturned.

The driver, identified as 60-year-old Jay Mena of Hardwick Township, sustained serious injuries in the crash and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died, Lebron said.

The crash remains under investigation, and no additional details were immediately available.

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.