Toms River Man Dies, Woman Injured As SUV Crashes Into Home, Burns

WOODLAND TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Toms River man died and a woman was critically injured Monday when an SUV crashed into a home in Burlington County and caught on fire, New Jersey State Police said.

George C. Sears Jr., 82, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, police said.

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Susan A. Sears, 76, of Toms River, who was in the passenger seat, suffered critical injuries in the crash, police said. She was taken to a hospital, they said.

The crash happened about 2 p.m. Monday at milemarker 42.9 on County Road 563 in Woodland Township, police said.

Sears was driving south in a Subaru SUV when he lost control and ran off the road to the right, hitting two fences before crashing into the home, where the Subaru caught fire, police said.

The flames spread to the house, police said.

Police believe Sears Jr. had a medical emergency that caused the SUV to drive off the road, ABC6 reported.

No one was home at the time of the crash but the house was left uninhabitable, a neighbor told ABC6.

The crash remains under investigation.