Bergen County drivers may be interested in the story of a fatal afternoon car accident that claimed the lives of three people. Police are still investigating the crash that also left one person critically injured.

A 19-year-old Freehold Borough man was driving a 2009 Volkswagen across an overpass in Monmouth County around 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 19. As the man crossed over Route 33, he reportedly lost control of his vehicle. The car drove over the median into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with an approaching Honda Pilot. Both vehicles began to spin, with the Pilot leaving the ground and crashing into another vehicle, a Toyota Camry driven by a 25-year-old man.

According to reports, three people were killed in the crash. The drivers of the Volkswagen and the Honda as well as the Volkswagen’s passenger, a 20-year-old Howell woman, were all pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The 25-year-old man was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Authorities note that all parties were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. The airbags on all of the vehicles functioned correctly as well. Prosecutors from Monmouth County are asking the public to assist in their ongoing investigation of the crash.

The prosecutors used this incident to remind the public that drivers must always be paying attention to the road because the vehicle they are driving can be a deadly weapon. In situations where a distracted driver has caused a serious car accident injury, an attorney may be able to help. The attorney may be able to determine who was at fault in the crash and bring the appropriate legal action against that party. This could result in compensation for personal injury or wrongful death damages.

Source: NBC New York, “Victims in Head-On New Jersey Crash That Sent Car Airborne Identified“, Ida Siegal, August 21, 2014

Source: NBC New York, “Victims in Head-On New Jersey Crash That Sent Car Airborne Identified“, Ida Siegal, August 21, 2014