Two dead after Route 29 crash in Hopewell

 

Two people died as a result of injuries they suffered after a collision and fire on Route 29 in Hopewell on Monday, police said.

Just before 1 p.m., a Mack dump truck heading north on Route 29 struck a Ford Crown Victoria that was heading south. The collision happened about three-tenths of a mile north of Fiddler’s Creek Road. That stretch of Route 29 is one lane in each direction. The vehicles came to rest against a stone wall along the southbound shoulder of the roadway. Both vehicles and a utility pole caught on fire.

The driver and passenger of the Ford Crown Victoria were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names are being withheld pending positive identification by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office and notification of next of kin.The driver of the truck, James Bilton, 59, of  Edgewater Park did not suffer any serious injuries.

No other vehicles were involved.

The first officer on scene used a Stat-X fire suppression device and multiple fire extinguishers in an attempt to out out the fire.Members of the Union Fire Company, Lambertville Fire Department and Hopewell Valley Emergency Services responded to the scene and extinguished the fire.

Route 29 in the crash scene area remained closed to traffic as of 6 p.m. The New Jersey State Police Traffic Incident Management Unit had Route 29 traffic being detoured onto County Routes 546, 579 and 518 around the crash scene.

JCP&L personnel are on scene and will be making repairs to damaged utility poles, police said. Sections of Titusville are without power due to this collision.

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact Detective Louis Vastola at 609-737-3100 ext. 5320.