Former Miss New Jersey Dies After Car Crash, Brain Surgery

The former Miss New Jersey who was critically injured in a car crash last week died Monday, according to her friends and family.

Friends of Cara McCollum, who was recovering from brain surgery, announced Monday on the “Prayers for Cara” Facebook page that she has died:

“Thank you all for this tremendous outpouring of love and support for our Cara. We can’t begin to tell you how much your prayers have meant to us in this incredibly difficult time.

Cara passed away this morning. Her family was with her in the operating room, and she died peacefully at 4:31am. Before she died, Cara made the selfless decision to donate her organs. At this very moment, she is saving lives.

We’ve prayed constantly for a miracle, and we believe God has answered our prayers. Although it’s not the miracle that we first envisioned, it’s a miracle nonetheless.

In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. Please accept our sincerest thanks for your heartfelt prayers. We all will miss her now that she’s gone.”

McCollum sustained serious head injuries when the 24-year-old Margate resident lost control of her car on Route 55 in Salem County, left the road and hit three trees Monday night.

She was taken to Cooper Health Systems in Camden, where she underwent brain surgery.

She won the Miss New Jersey Pageant in 2013, and is a graduate of Princeton University.

The “Prayers for Cara” Facebook page was started up to keep the community aware of her status. It attracted more than 5,000 likes.

“Cara needs your prayers NOW,” a post on the page reads. “She is in critical condition at a Level 1 Trauma Center in New Jersey, and the situation couldn’t be more serious. Cara is a strong, determined young woman, but her life is in God’s hands right now. We’re praying for a miracle, because that’s what it will take for Cara to come back to us. We’re asking you to do the same. We feel your prayers — please, please don’t stop. Cara has already touched so many lives, and we believe she still has important work to do.”

The page includes inspirational messages and a photo gallery of McCollum and her boyfriend, Keith Jones, an anchor for NBC 10. McCollum is an anchor for Millville-based SNJ Today.

The attached image is from the Prayers for Cara Facebook page.