Route 571 closed for over 7 hours following crash in West Windsor

by The Times http://www.nj.com

 

WEST WINDSOR -- A township woman and three of her four children were injured when their vehicle crashed into a utility pole and flipped over on Route 571 Friday, police said.

The crash snapped the utility pole in half, dropping electrical wires onto the road and forcing police to shut Route 571 for more than seven hours.

Lt. Carl Walsh said the accident occurred about 12:15 p.m. when Sanja Dimic, 43, of West Windsor, lost control of her vehicle while driving west on Route 571 (Princeton-Hightstown Road), about 600 feet east of Rabbit Hill Road.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by Officer Lee Evans, but it appears Dimic was driving too fast along the rain-slick roadway, he said.

After she lost control, Dimic's vehicle spun about 180 degrees, hit a curb, slammed into a utility pole, flipped over and came to rest on its roof about 20 feet from the road, Walsh said.

Dimic, who suffered a broken femur in the crash, had to be extricated from the wreckage by firefighters, Walsh said, noting that her passengers -- her four children, ranging in age from 6 to 13 -- were able to get out on their own. All were wearing their seat belts, he said.

Three of the four children suffered minor injuries and were taken with Dimic to Capital Health System at Fuld hospital in Trenton for treatment, he said.

When the utility pole snapped, phone and electrical wires fell on the vehicle being driven east on Route 571 by Stephen Lavitol, 54, of Rahway, Walsh said. He said Lavitol's vehicle suffered damage to its roof but Lavitol was not hurt.

Walsh said Route 571 remained closed until about 7:30 p.m. because the utility pole had to be replaced and PSE&G and Verizon had to reconnect the fallen wires.

Photos by: Brian McCarthy OnSceneOnline.com