Philadelphia man, New Jersey woman killed in Route 55 accident in Gloucester County, state police say
MANTUA TWP., N.J. (CBS) — Two adults were killed in a wrong-way head-on accident on Route 55 Thursday in Mantua Township in Gloucester County, according to New Jersey State Police.
NJSP identified the two people killed as Stanley Kahana, a 62-year-old from Philadelphia, and 53-year-old Jennifer Hufnell of Deptford.
The crash happened just before 9 a.m. on Route 55 North in the area of milepost 51.8, according to NJSP. The crash shut down Route 55 North between Exit 48 (Ellis Street, Glassboro) and Exit 53 (Woodbury-Glassboro Road) for hours.
State police said a Jeep Compass traveling southbound on Route 55 crossed into the northbound lanes at an unknown location on the highway and continued to drive in the opposite direction.
The Jeep, which was driven by Kahana, then collided head-on with a Toyota Rav4 traveling northbound, which caused both vehicles to overturn, according to state police. The Rav4, which was driven by Hufnell, caught on fire, state police said. Hufnell and Kahana each sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash.
Chopper 3 was over the crash scene, which showed debris littering the highway. One of the cars was seen sitting on its roof in the freeway's median, while the other was on its side on the grassy shoulder.
The crash is under investigation, state police said.
Nancy McCann Foy, who co-owns McCann's Farm in Monroeville, New Jersey, was headed to set up at a market with Caitlin Conn when they saw the wrong way driver.
McCann Foy said she quickly veered off into the grassy area on the side of the road.
"Blessed we had that area to go to and you just kinda looked out my rearview and looked out ahead like, 'What happened?' It was a scary moment," McCann Foy said.
"Very scary to see that coming at you in the northbound lane. Instantly we had to pull over," she added.
Conn said it was dead silent in Foy's car after witnessing the crash.
"Like you could've heard a pin drop in that car," she said. "We were like, 'Did everyone just see that?!"
As police try to figure out what led up to the wrong-way crash, Conn said she still can't believe it happened and wants to remind drivers to always pay attention.
"It's so surreal to think that our lives could be so different today," Conn said. "If Nancy had been looking down to get a drink or changing the radio station, it could have been different and it's so important to be aware of everything around you."