Driver Dies After Partially Ejected From Overturned Car On Route 202 In Branchburg: Police

BRANCHBURG, NJ — One driver is dead and another is hospitalized in critical condition following a three-car crash on Route 202 in Branchburg on Friday.

At around 2:09 p.m. on Friday, the Branchburg Police Department was called to an overturned motor vehicle crash on Route 202 South between Holland Brook Road and Whiton Road.

Police found a 2016 white Honda CR-V overturned on its roof, which had crashed into a 2021 grey Honda Civic on Route 202 South, said Branchburg Police Chief Richard Buck.

Another vehicle, a 2009 grey Acura TSX, which was also driving southbound, was also involved in the crash.

An initial on-scene investigation determined that the 2016 white Honda CR-V was driving north in the left lane before suddenly turning left into the grass median for an unknown reason.

The 2016 white CR-V first collided with the 2009 Acura TSX, which was in the left lane of Route 202 South, and then with the 2021 grey Honda Civic, which was in the right lane of Route 202 South, said Buck.

Due to the direct forceful impact of the crashes, the 2016 white Honda CR-V overturned on its roof, which partially ejected the driver and trapped her torso/lower body underneath the vehicle.

The driver and sole occupant of the 2021 grey Honda Civic was trapped inside her vehicle in the driver’s seat, said Buck.

Branchburg Police Officers immediately tried to render medical aid to both drivers, and Readington Fire and Neshanic Fire were requested for extrications.

Branchburg Rescue Squad Emergency Medical Services and Paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset were also called.

The driver of the Honda CR-V, identified as 44-year-old Sara Elsman from Raritan Borough, suffered fatal injuries from the crash and was later pronounced dead, said Buck.

The driver of the 2021 grey Honda Civic, a 64-year-old female from Beverly, MA, sustained serious injuries from the crash.

After she was successfully freed from the vehicle, she was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick by New Jersey State Police North Star MedEvac where she currently remains in critical condition.

The driver and sole occupant of the 2009 grey Acura TSX, a 40-year-old male from Basking Ridge, did not report any injuries on scene and refused further medical attention.

Members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Crash Analysis Reconstruction Team (SCPO CART) and the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office also cameto help at the crash.

Due to the severity of the crash, Route 202 was initially closed in both directions between Holland Brook Road and Whiton Road.

Further investigation into the underlying cause of the crash remains ongoing by SCPO CART and Branchburg PD Detectives at this time.

Anyone with information related to this crash is asked to contact the Branchburg Police Department at 908-526-3830 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ.

All anonymous STOPit reports will be kept confidential.

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