Pedestrian struck, killed by police cruiser in Ocean County, N.J.

A police officer responding to a call in Ocean County, N.J., struck and killed a man who was walking on a roadway.

Ocean County prosecutors say the accident occurred around 11:15 p.m. Saturday in Manchester Township.

The Asbury Park Press reports that Keith Atkinson Jr., 23, of Manchester entered a home he mistakenly believed belonged to a friend, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. Atkinson appeared confused and intoxicated as he yelled into the house in search of his friend, but left after the homeowner confronted him, authorities said.

While driving on New York Avenue, the officer’s cruiser struck Atkinson Jr., who apparently was walking in the roadway. The officer swerved in a bid to avoid Atkinson, but he was struck by the passenger side of the cruiser.

The officer, whose name was not disclosed, was not injured in the accident.

(Revised 10:43 p.m. to make it clear that the police car struck the man who mistakenly entered the wrong house, an event that led to a call to the police)