Man Found Dead Inside Submerged Car In Delaware Raritan Canal Following Crash

FRANKLIN, NJ — A man died after police say his car crashed and was found submerged in the Delaware Raritan Canal on Saturday.

On Aug. 24 at around 12:24 p.m., a kayaker called the police and reported seeing the submerged vehicle in the Delaware Raritan Canal near Canal Road and Grouser Road, said Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.

Franklin Township Police found damage to the guardrails and several trees and were able to see a motor vehicle submerged in the water.

The Somerset County Prosecutor Office Dive-Rescue Team went into the water and found one person inside the submerged vehicle.

The sole occupant, whom authorities have identified as a 31-year-old male, Skillman resident, was removed from the vehicle by Dive Team members and pronounced dead at the scene, said McDonald.

The vehicle was removed from the canal by Mikes Towing and Recovery.

Investigators from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team along with Franklin Township Police Traffic Investigators found that the vehicle, a 2024 Honda Civic, was driving west on Grouser Road approaching Canal Road.

Grouser Road ends at Canal Road requiring westbound vehicles to turn right or left. The driver entered the intersection without stopping and hit the guardrails which caused the vehicle to become airborne, said McDonald.

The vehicle hit several road signs and a tree before landing in the canal. The vehicle was found facing eastbound and upright, said McDonald.

Medical Investigators from the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct a post-mortem examination to determine the cause and origin of death. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at 908-231-7100 or the Franklin Township Police Department at 732-873-5533 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smartphone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

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