Fatal Toms River Accident: Woman Struck By 2 Cars

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A woman was killed Monday after she was hit by two cars on an Ocean County roadway, police said.

Kimberly Vanpelt, 44, of Neptune City was killed in the Toms River accident, police said.

At 6 p.m., police and EMS units responded to the intersection of Route 9 and Stevens Road on a report that a pedestrian had been struck by a motor vehicle.

Upon arrival they located Vanpelt incapacitated in the roadway. Lifesaving attempts failed, and she was pronounced dead a short time later, police said.

The initial investigation determined that Vanpelt was crossing Route 9 in an easterly direction when she was struck by a southbound 2000 Dodge pickup driven by Jose Rios Simental, 55, from Lawrenceville, Georgia, police said.

As a result of the impact Vanpelt landed in the northbound lane where she was struck by a second vehicle. That vehicle was a 2011 Ford being driven by 31-year-old James Cohen of Waretown.

Read more: BREAKING: Fatal Car, Bus Crash On Major South Jersey Highway

The crash is being investigated by Toms River Traffic Safety Officer Robert Westfall, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office.

Patch file photo