A longtime volunteer fire chief from Manchester Township, New Jersey, was tragically killed early Tuesday morning after an SUV allegedly entered a closed construction zone on the New Jersey Turnpike, struck him, and fled the scene.

Brian Flanagan, 47, chief of the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company, suffered fatal injuries in the crash, which occurred at approximately 3:52 a.m. on October 13 along the southbound outer roadway near milepost 87.7 in Edison Township.

According to New Jersey State Police, Flanagan was working inside a clearly marked construction zone where two lanes had been closed to traffic when a GMC SUV entered the restricted area and struck him.

The driver allegedly fled without stopping.

Following an investigation, authorities identified the driver as Anthony Bernardi, 40, of Edison, who was subsequently arrested.

Bernardi faces first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree vehicular homicide, and second-degree leaving the scene of an accident resulting in fatal injuries.

He was being held at the Middlesex County Jail pending a detention hearing.

Flanagan was a longtime member of the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company and had served as its chief for years, dedicating much of his life to protecting residents of Manchester Township and surrounding communities.

In a heartbreaking statement Tuesday afternoon, the fire company mourned the loss of its chief.

“Brian was not only our Chief, but a loving husband, father, uncle, friend, and brother to our fire company family,” the department said. “His loss leaves a hole in our hearts that can never be filled. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and everyone grieving this heartbreaking loss.”

Tragically, this was not Flanagan’s first serious vehicle accident.

In November 2022, he was critically endangered while returning from a fire call when his department-issued Chevrolet Tahoe crashed into a utility pole on Ridgeway Road in Manchester.

The impact sent the SUV airborne, leaving it overturned and partially suspended in electrical wires. Emergency crews had to extricate Flanagan from the wreckage before he was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

Despite the severity of that crash, his injuries were ultimately determined to be non-life-threatening.

Nearly four years later, the veteran volunteer fire chief lost his life in Tuesday morning’s devastating hit-and-run.

Authorities have not disclosed why Flanagan was working inside the construction zone or what may have caused the SUV driver to enter the closed lanes.

New Jersey State Police said the investigation remains ongoing.