Husband and Wife Killed, Several Injured in Accident
Five people walking home from Young Israel on Dunhams Corner Road were hit by a car on Saturday afternoon.
A husband and wife walking home from Young Israel in East Brunswick were killed after a driver lost control of her vehicle and hit them and three other pedestrians, Saturday.
The couple, both 51, were pronounced dead at the scene, which occurred just before 12:30 p.m. at the intersection of Dunhams Corner Road and Hardenburg Lane, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan and William Krause, deputy chief and director of the East Brunswick Police Department.
Three other pedestrians and the driver were rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where they are being treated for injuries. The condition of a 27-year-old man was not immediately determined. In addition, a 52-year-old man was listed in stable but critical condition, and his wife, 50, was in serious, but stable condition, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Also hurt was the driver, a 49-year-old woman who was listed in stable condition, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.
The identities of the individuals, all residents of East Brunswick, are not being released yet by the prosecutor’s office.
No charges have been filed against the driver of the vehicle and an investigation is active and continuing. Police began the investigation after a 911 call at 12:30 p.m. alerted them to the crash.
Investigator Sean O’Lone of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and Officer Thomas Kniele of the East Brunswick Police Department determined that the driver was heading west on Dunhams Corner Road when she lost control of the Toyota. The vehicle crashed into a utility pole, struck the five pedestrians and then hit a guardrail.
The 51-year-old female pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:49 p.m. and her husband was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:58 p.m.
The five pedestrians were walking from a service at Young Israel, a temple on Dunhams Corner Road.
Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator O’Lone of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-3315, or Officer Kniele of the East Brunswick Police Department at 732-390-6900.
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Councilwoman Denise Contrino
9:59 pm on Saturday, September 15, 2012
So very tragic! My thoughts and prayers are with all of the families and friends of the victims.
Patty
11:21 pm on Saturday, September 15, 2012
People need to slow down in East Brunswick and get off the phone and stop textng and driving. I see it all day as it's part of my job to drive East Brunswick roads. I also live on a 35 mile an hour street and rarely do drivers actually abide by the speed limit. Most drivers do 50 mph plus. Where are the speed traps? I have over 60 residential driveways on my street along with a busy park and school. The police need to monitor our roads for speeders and people talking on cell phones
This is not the first time temple attendees have meet with such tragedy. Make the speed limit 25 mph on Dunhams and have police enforce it!
This is very tragic for these families. Please lower speed limit in this area now! How many people have to be hurt and killed to take action! 25 mph now!
Madzi
8:55 am on Sunday, September 16, 2012
Patty is spot on: because there are so many pedestrians in the area of the temple, these roads should be treated the same way those by many schools are--strictly enforce a 25 mph speed limit at those times, at least.
As an aside, yesterday I leaned on my horn to alert the foolish young woman in the car next to me--on Tices Lane, for crying out loud-- to stop texting and to pay attention to what was going on around her. This was no teenager; this was a woman who was at least 30 years old. I've already seen a driver cause an oncoming car to veer off the road on Tices and stop just inches from a telephone pole because the first driver was on her cellphone, weaving back and forth. I called the police and informed them of what I saw. I imagine our police could hand out a significant number of summonses if they paid attention to these yahoos.
My condolences to the community of Young Israel and to the family of those killed and injured.
Chester Copperpot
11:42 am on Sunday, September 16, 2012
I agree that people fly on these roads way too often and texting and driving is a serious problem, but aren't we jumping to conclusions just a bit early by assuming that this was part of the problem? My wife had a friend give her details of the accident by somebody who was a witness to it. I'm not putting 100% accuracy into the story because it's one of those stories through the grapevine that can snowball into misinformation, but I am giving it a little credence since I heard about the accident before it was posted all over the news a media. If the report I heard is true (and that's a big IF), the driver had their hazard lights on moving slowly and then the car accelerated abnormally quickly moving onto the sidewalk causing the tragedy. More than likely, driver error is probably the cause, but I'd at least like to let the police and investigators do their jobs before jumping to conclusions and speculating. Had I not heard the explanation of the accident shortly after it happened from friends, I probably would have assumed the same thing, but there is a slight possibility that might not actually be the case.
In the end, RIP to the people lost and condolences to the families involved. The community is saddened and my heart goes out to everybody connected in this tragedy.
Kathie Waite
11:26 pm on Saturday, September 15, 2012
So very, very sad for all involved. My thoughts and prayers go out to all involved.
Carrie
12:10 am on Sunday, September 16, 2012
The police need to enforce speed limits and not just on Jensen at 7AM on weekdays! I agree lower speed limits on major roads - and hopefully such terrible tragedies can be prevented.
SamIam
1:35 am on Sunday, September 16, 2012
This is the second accident in that area in the past year or so...frickin slow down!!!!!!!!
joanne thomas
3:01 pm on Sunday, September 16, 2012
It is a sad and tragic accident for the families my heart is very heavy for all of you. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Also I want to add how proud I am of.all the emergency responders. Not everyone can do what they do thank you for your caring hearts. Fondly Joanne from east Brunswick.
gerald hirschman
3:49 pm on Sunday, September 16, 2012
SPEED BUMPS WORK 24/7===========better than reduced speed signs
JERRY HIRSCHMAN
Martin Spielman
5:57 pm on Sunday, September 16, 2012
Speed bumps do an average of $600 per year per car in America. I think the intersection design needs to be looked at instead in light of the large number of incidents in and around that intersection.
Christopher
6:32 pm on Sunday, September 16, 2012
You're all jumping to the wrong conclusions. Chill out and wait for the investigation to complete.
Karen Timper
8:12 pm on Sunday, September 16, 2012
I certainly agree with most of the posted comments. Driver's in this town and coming through this town need to slow down, period.
Everyday there are key places in EB where aggressive drivers need to have some common sense. Point "A" riding the right turn ONLY lane at the corner of Ryders & Milltown Rd. where the TD bank is, only to cut everyone off going straight. Point "B", knowing (key word) that they will have to merge at the Dunhams Corner Rd & Ryders Lane light, but they use this lane to speed up and cut off the drivers that they in fact have to merge with, not the other way around. I think it's an attitude entitlement situation with their very large egos. They should all be entitled to receive a big fat ticket. It's a gold mine at these two intersections for the police.
andrew quigley
6:45 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
people need to watch for other people and motorcycle and other cars stay off ur phone or buy blue tooth save a live not destroy many other
andrew quigley
6:46 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
slow down why in a rush the track is in englishtown
andrew quigley
6:46 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
my prays go out to all was involved
Debra J Bermann
3:36 pm on Wednesday, September 19, 2012
People 'fly' on many East Brunswick roads, talk on cell phones and eat/drink while driving. Its a hazard to all drivers and pedestrians and should be stopped. Yet there are few to no policeman around when I see those drivers and there is no way to let the police know so they just continue doing it until someone gets hurt or killed! Perhaps the police need to be watching those roads that are known to be
Debra J Bermann
3:37 pm on Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Dangerous
mjensen
1:17 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012
There needs to be signs about texting and cell phone use . Just like drug signs . etc.