NJ 19-Year-Old Killed In Crash; Cop, Others Hurt While Responding

STAFFORD, NJ - A 19-year-old woman from Egg Harbor Township was killed in a crash on the Garden State Parkway Saturday evening, with a police officer responding to the crash hit by a separate vehicle, authorities said.

The initial crash occurred at around 6:27 p.m. on the Garden State Parkway southbound near milepost 64.4 in Stafford Township, a spokesperson from the New Jersey State Police told Patch. An initial investigation found that a Honda Civic was traveling south on the parkway when it traveled off the road to the left, overturned and traveled down an embankment.

As a result of the crash, passenger Jessica Molina-Colmenares, 19, was ejected and sustained fatal injuries, state police said. The driver of the Honda sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

The left lane of the GSP southbound was closed for about an hour, resulting in moderate traffic congestion.

A responding Stafford Township police officer was traveling to the crash from the ramp from State Highway 72 to the Garden State Parkway North and attempted to access an "authorized vehicle only" turnaround when a Jeep Grand Cherokee traveling northbound on the parkway in the center lane struck the left side of the officer’s vehicle.

As a result of the crash, a rear seat passenger in the Jeep sustained serious injuries, three additional passengers sustained minor non-life-threatening injuries and 1 passenger did not report any injuries, state police said.

The Stafford police officer sustained minor non-life-threatening injuries, state police said.

The left and center lanes of the Garden State Parkway northbound were closed for approximately six hours resulting in heavy traffic congestion.

Both crashes remain under investigation, state police said.