Teen hit, killed by vehicle at NJ-70 crosswalk in Lakewood

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — A 15-year-old girl has died following a pedestrian crash late Tuesday night on Route 70 in south Lakewood, according to local media.

Lakewood Police said an officer was exiting a nearby convenience store when he was alerted to the incident at the intersection with Vermont Avenue, at around 10:00 p.m.

A preliminary investigation indicates a 19-year-old Toms River man was driving a 2006 white Lexus westbound on NJ-70 when the vehicle struck the teenage pedestrian. Authorities said the victim had been walking south in the Vermont Avenue crosswalk, and was accompanied by her mother and sister at the time.

Moments after the crash, the responding officer arrived on the scene to find the teenage girl lying unresponsive in the roadway, behind the striking car.

Volunteers with Hatzolah EMS initiated life-saving measures on the victim as the officer gathered his medical equipment. The patient was then rushed to Monmouth Medical Southern Campus Hospital, where she was pronounced shortly after.

The driver of the Lexus, who stayed at the scene, was said to be cooperating with authorities. No charges have been reported as of this writing.

The Ocean County Prosecutors Office and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department are assisting with an investigation.