Passenger Dies After Being Thrown From Flipped Van On Rt. 78

HUNTERDON COUNTY, N.J. – A woman was killed Wednesday when the van she was driving in flipped over, ejected her, then landed on her, New Jersey State Police said.

The crash occurred just before noon on Wednesday in the area of mile marker 21 on Route 78 westbound, Trooper Alana Spies said.

The driver, identified as George Ayala-Maldonado, 39, of New York City, lost control of the Ford Econoline Van on the left side of the highway, then spun clockwise to the right side of the roadway where it hit a guardrail and flipped, Spies said.

In doing so, the rear seat passenger, Luisa Lizardo-Cruz, 65, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was ejected from the vehicle and killed when the van landed on her, Spies said. Lizardo-Cruz was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:07 p.m.

Both Ayala-Maldonado and the front seat passenger, Francisco Cheviler, 61, of Mt. Vernon, New York, refused medical attention.

The crash is currently under investigation.