Two People Died In Rt. 130 South Brunswick Crash On Memorial Day

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — South Brunswick police have identified the two people killed in the Memorial Day crash, which occurred Monday morning on Rt. 130 near Wheeling Road.

Michael Santana, 24, of Staten Island and Zarine Arshakyan, 55, of Lawrenceville, were identified as the two people who died in the crash. They were driving in two different cars. The crash was reported at 7:37 a.m. Monday and shut down Rt. 130 in both directions for eight hours on the holiday. There was other holiday weekend tragedy in the area: Someone was killed in a Rt. 1 crash in North Brunswick at 4 a.m. on Sunday.

According to South Brunswick police, the crash occurred when Santana, driving a 2016 Nissan headed northbound on Rt. 130, lost control of his vehicle, spun out, crossed the median and struck a 2015 Toyota operated by Arshakyan, who was traveling south on Rt. 130.

Both cars came to rest in the southbound side of the highway. Arshakyan's vehicle was then sideswiped by a 2013 Honda driven by Astra Witty, 40, of Scotch Plains. Witty was not injured in the crash.

Traffic investigators say speed was a factor in the initial crash.

The crash continued to cause a chain reaction: A separate two-car crash took place near the scene as other drivers tried to avoid the initial fatal crash.

Responding to the crash scene was South Brunswick EMS, Monmouth Junction Fire Department, New Jersey State Department of Transportation, Middlesex County Medical Examiners and South Brunswick Police Traffic Safety Bureau.

Anyone with information on this crash is asked to contact South Brunswick Traffic Safety Bureau Officer William Merkler at (732) 329-4000 ext. 7412.