A New Years morning crash along Route 1 hospitalized at least six people and left two Ocean County teens in critical condition, according to NJ.com. A seventh passenger was treated and released.
Police say the driver of a Nissan Sentra may have been distracted by a cellphone while apparently running a red light near Deans Lane, colliding with a minivan headed north on Route 1 just after 5 a.m.
An investigation is underway by the South Brunswick Police Department, with no early indications that alcohol was involved. The wreck occurred just hours after the ringing-in of a new year.
The oldest occupant of Sentra was 27, with the two most critically injured passengers being 12 and 15, according to news partner NJ.com. Jaws of life were required by the Monmouth Junction Fire Department to free the injured from the crumpled wreckage.
The three occupants in the minivan were described as a 59-year-old New Brunswick man and two other relatives.
At least one passenger from the Sentra was still listed in critical but stable condition Friday.
Among the injured, one was transported to St. Peters Hospital while the remaining seven were admitted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
Police did not release the names of any passengers.
The crash itself required part of Route 1 to be closed for six hours.