Man Drove Down Wrong Side Of Highway During Double-Fatal Crash In South Jersey: Cops

MANTUA, NJ — A man drove down the wrong side of the highway and hit another car head-on, killing both drivers in a fiery crash that shut down Route 55 in Gloucester County for several hours Thursday, authorities said.

Stanley Kahana's Jeep Compass entered Route 55 northbound and drove the wrong way before hitting an oncoming Toyota Rav4 at 8:58 a.m. in Mantua, officials said. Both vehicles overturned and caught fire, said Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron, a State Police spokesperson.

Kahana, 62, of Philadelphia, and the Toyota driver — Jennifer Hufnell, 53, of Deptford — died in the crash, Lebron said.

A lengthy stretch of Route 55 northbound was closed until late Thursday afternoon for the on-scene investigation. The highway has reopened.

State Police did not know where Kahana's vehicle went from the southbound to the northbound side. Action News shared footage of a vehicle driving down the wrong side of the highway, which several cars dodged before the deadly crash.

Route 55 northbound was closed between Exit 48 in Glassboro and Exit 53 in Mantua during the investigation.

The crash and on-scene investigation brought heavy congestion to Route 55, with northbound vehicles temporarily diverted to the southbound lanes.