Princeton Woman Killed By Driver Who Mistook Gas For Brake, Police Say

PRINCETON, NJ — A Princeton resident was killed and another injured when they were struck by a car backing out of a parking spot in East Windsor last week, police said Thursday.

Around 5:38 p.m. on Nov. 7, two people were walking through the parking lot of Town Center Plaza, at 319 Route 130 North, when a 94-year-old Monroe man attempted to back out of a parking spot.

He accidentally applied the accelerator pedal instead of the brake and his car struck the two pedestrians, East Windsor police said.

Semra Ozkaya, 68, of Princeton was taken to an area hospital where she succumbed to her injuries days later, police said. The other pedestrian, Engin Ozkaya, 39, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

The 94-year-old man was found to be operating his vehicle in an unsafe manner and was issued a motor vehicle summons for careless driving, police said.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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