WEST WINDSOR, NJ — Two separate crashes on U.S. Route 1 South at Washington Road in West Windsor in the early morning hours of Friday left one person dead and another hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, West Windsor Police said.
The first crash occurred around 1:58 a.m. when a 2023 Kia driven by a 22-year-old Philadelphia man ran a red light on Route 1 South and hit the passenger side of a tractor-trailer that was turning left from Washington Road onto Route 1 South.
The tractor-trailer was being driven by a 28-year-old Edison man.
The truck driver was taken to Capital Health Fuld Campus with minor injuries.
The driver of the Kia was entrapped in the vehicle, extricated by emergency services and taken to Capital Health Fuld Campus, where he was admitted with life-threatening injuries, police said.
The West Windsor Police Traffic Unit, Detective Bureau and the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office Serious Crash Response Team responded to investigate.
Around 5:20 a.m., while police, EMS and investigators were at the scene, a 2017 Toyota driven by a 43-year-old woman from Media, PA., drove through the barricades on Route 1 South at Harrison Street and crashed into the trailer of the tractor-trailer, which remained across the road, police said.
The vehicle narrowly missed emergency personnel on scene.
The driver died from her injuries at the scene, police said.
Her identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The cause of her actions remains under investigation.
Route 1 South between Harrison Street and Washington Road remained closed for around seven hours.
Anyone with information on either crash is asked to contact Traffic Officer A. Mangone at amangone@westwindsorpolice.com or Traffic Officer K. LaForge at laforge@westwindsorpolice.com, or call 609-799-1222. Anonymous tips can be submitted at 609-799-0452.
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