Woman Killed, Several Injured In Atlantic County Car Accident
MULLICA TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) - Police in Atlantic County are investigating a car accident that killed a 37-year-old woman and injured several others Sunday evening.
A little before 6 p.m., police were called out to the 3000 block of Nesco Road in Mullica Township for a reported head-on collision between a Dodge minivan and a Buick.
The Dodge caught fire after the accident and passengers in both vehicles were trapped until several neighbors rushed to pull them to safety before emergency crews arrived.
Authorities identified the driver of the Buick as 64-year-old Judith Calderone of Sweetwater. She was airlifted to Atlanticare Regional with head and chest injuries. Her husband, who was sitting in the front seat, was taken to the hospital with chest injuries, according to police.
The driver of the Dodge, whose identity is being withheld pending family notification, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say 49-year-old Miguel Santiago, who was a front-seat passenger in the Dodge, suffered chest injuries and was airlifted to Cooper Hospital in Hammonton.
An 8-year-old passenger was critically injured and sustained significant head and chest trauma; she was airlifted to Cooper Hospital. A 5-year-old was also injured and was first transported by ground to Atlanticare Mainland in Galloway but was later transferred to Cooper Hospital in Camden.
The identities of the children are not being released due to the pending death notification of their relative.
Nesco Road was shut down for approximately five hours while police investigated the accident. It has not yet been determined which direction the vehicles were going or what may have caused the accident. Police are asking any witnesses to contact the authorities with any information that might help in the investigation: 609-561-7600.
