Fatal Car Crash In West Orange: Husband Dead, Wife Injured

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A fallen tree limb went through the sun roof of a car, hitting the driver in the head and leading to a fatal car crash in West Orange last week, authorities said.

A West Orange township spokesperson released the following statement to Patch about the crash on Tuesday:

“The West Orange Fire Department along with West Orange Police units responded to a single vehicle crash on Kelly Drive shortly after 7 p.m. on February 3. The incident involved an elderly married West Orange couple who were travelling southbound on Kelly Drive near Baxter Lane. Their car was suddenly hit by a falling tree limb which penetrated the sun roof of the vehicle. It struck the male driver in the head rendering him unconscious and causing their car to veer off the roadway. They subsequently crashed into a second tree on the west side of the street. A utility pole was also downed as a result of the crash and PSE&G crews were dispatched to the scene. Frigid temperatures were accompanied with strong wind gusts on [Feb. 3] and are believed to be a contributing factor in the accident.”

“Both patients were transported to University Hospital [in Newark], where the male driver was pronounced dead shortly after arrival,” he added. “His wife suffered non-life-threating injuries, but the exact nature of her injuries was unclear.”

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