Heartbreaking Christmas Week In NJ: 11 Killed In Crashes, Murders

An endless series of tragedies have happened this Christmas week in New Jersey, capping with yet another fatal highway crash on Wednesday morning.

At least 11 people were killed over Christmas weekend and its aftermath, including a murder-suicide in Central Jersey that also claimed the life of a family dog. The other incidents involved highway crashes and fires. Two of the accidents involved pedestrians in Ocean County (see below).

A record amount of people took to New Jersey's roads this week, but all of the tragedies do not appear to have a common thread. Some of the accidents did happen in the early morning hours, but some did not.

Here is what has happened in New Jersey this week:

• Christmas Eve Murder-Suicide Victims In Old Bridge ID'd; Dog Dead: A couple and their dog were found dead on Christmas Eve inside their New Jersey home in the Cliffwood Beach section of the township, the Middlesex County prosecutor announced Tuesday. It was an apparent murder-suicide, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor said. Read more here...
• 2 Killed In Head-On South Jersey Crash on Christmas Day: Two people were killed in a head-on crash on Christmas Day in South Jersey, police said. The accident at approximately 2:57 p.m., when the Township of Hamilton Police Department responded to the Black Horse Pike, Route 322, in the area of milepost 38, in the west side of the township. Read more here...
• Fatal Accident On Route 295: A serious motor vehicle accident on Route 295 north Wednesday morning has proven fatal. All lanes of Route 295 north are closed at milepost 66.1 in Hamilton Township while state troopers investigate a fatal accident, state police announced Wednesday morning. Read more here...
• 1 Killed When Car Crashes Into Tree In Gloucester Township: One person was killed in an accident near the Blackwood Post Office on Davistown Road early Saturday morning, Gloucester Township police said. Police received a 911 call at about 1:29 a.m. concerning a possible accident with entrapment. Arriving officers found a car flipped on its roof in the front yard of a house on the 200 block of Davistown Road. Read more here...
• Pedestrian Struck, Killed In Brick Accident Christmas Eve: A Lakewood man was killed Sunday night when he was hit by an SUV while walking along Route 88 in Brick, police said Tuesday. Read more here...
• Pedestrian Hit, Killed In Lakewood On Christmas: A pedestrian was hit and killed in Lakewood on Christmas evening, according to a report. The person was hit near the intersection of Cedar Bridge Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive about 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Read more here...
• 'Trespasser' Killed in Christmas Day NJ Transit Accident: A pedestrian described by NJ Transit as a "trespasser" was struck and killed by train on Christmas morning in Deal, according to a report. Read more here...
• Victim Of Fatal Christmas Eve Shooting In Newark Identified: Police found the 47-year-old man "unresponsive" and with an apparent gunshot wound in a Newark apartment building. Read more here...
• South Jersey Woman Dies In Fire Day After Christmas: A woman was killed after she was pulled from her burning home by neighbors on Tuesday, according to authorities. Read more here...

These heartbreaking incidents also happened:

• Drunk South Jersey Man Crashes Stores, Starts Fire On Christmas: A New Jersey man drove off a road and crashed into several stores, starting a fire on Christmas Day, police said (see photo). Read more here...
• Christmas Fire Destroys Parsippany Home: A Parsippany family lost their home in a Christmas evening fire, Parsippany police said. Read more here...

Photos: Atlantic City Fire Dept Firefighters IAFF L198‏ @AtlanticCityFD