By: Richard L. Smith
New Jersey State Police officials are continuing to investigate a horrific highway crash that killed a woman and injured two others in Somerset County Tuesday night.
According to NJ State Police Sgt. Philip Curry, the crash occurred at 7:33 pm in the southbound lanes of I-287 near mile marker 18.4 in Bridgewater.
Sgt. Curry said a preliminary investigation revealed that an Infiniti passenger car and a Nissan passenger car were traveling south on the I-287 local roadway.
According to Sgt. Curry, the Infiniti traveled off the left side of the road to improperly pass the Nissan.
After re-entering the roadway, the Infiniti struck the left front of the Nissan.
After the initial impact, Sgt. Curry said the Infiniti traveled across the lanes, ran off the road to the right, traveled up an embankment, and struck multiple trees.
The driver of the Nissan was not injured as a result of the crash. The Infiniti driver, Mr. Felipe Exposito-Sanchez, 24, of Linden, NJ, was seriously injured.
Sgt. Curry said Sanchez’s passenger, Ms. Lissanne Reyes Mejia, 35, of Perth Amboy, was killed. Three additional passengers in the Infiniti sustained serious injuries.
Police say local lanes of I-287 southbound were closed for approximately 5 hours, resulting in moderate traffic congestion.
The crash remains under investigation.