Prosecutor: Fatal Saturday Accident Under Investigation

A three-vehicle crash in Howell on Saturday afternoon resulted in the death of a young child and is under investigation, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Sunday.

Shortly before 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13, Howell Township police responded to Route 34 just north of the interchange with State Route 33 on a report of a collision. There they found the three involved vehicles: a 2014 Dodge Ram pickup truck with an adult female driver, a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee with an adult female driver and three passengers, including two children, and a 2021 Ford Bronco with an adult female driver.

The drivers of the pickup truck and the Ford Bronco sustained minor injuries. The driver of the Jeep Cherokee sustained a serious injury and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. One of the two children who were passengers in the Cherokee, a 3-year-old girl, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other, a 2-year-old boy, sustained minor injuries and was hospitalized for observation.

As of yet, no criminal charges have been filed nor traffic summons issued with regard to this accident.

Route 34 remained closed in both directions while an investigation involving members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team (SCART), and the Howell Township Police Department continued, The highway reopened at about 10:15 p.m.

Anyone with information about this matter is being asked to contact MCPO Agent Reginald Grant at 800-533-7443 or Howell Township Police Officer Daniel Scherbinski at 732-938-4575, Ext. 2663.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office