Pedestrian struck and killed on Route 1 in South Brunswick Tuesday night
A 68-year-old resident of North Brunswick was struck by a vehicle when she tried to cross Route 1 ar Deans Lane in South Brunswick at about 7 p.m. on Tuesday night.
Deborah Smick’s vehicle had become disabled in the Wendy’s Restaurant parking lot on Route 1, so she called a North Brunswick towing company. The company picked up her vehicle and brought it across the highway to a gas station. Smick was walking across the highway when she was struck by a 2016 Honda CRV driven by a 63-year-old Staten Island man.
Several witnesses reported that the traffic signal was green for Route 1 traffic when Smick began to cross the road. Investigators believe Smick may have been distracted as she began to cross the highway. The driver of the Honda who hit her stayed on the scene and cooperated with investigators, police said.
Smick was immediately provided medical aid by a passing doctor and several motorists. South Brunswick police officers, along with South Brunswick Emergency Medical Services, continued life-saving efforts but Smick was pronounced at the scene.
“The loss of life anytime is a tragedy, but I want to thank the efforts of so many who stopped to provide aid,” South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka said.
Route 1 northbound was closed for three hours while the investigation was conducted.
Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.
This is such an incredibly sad and tragic story. Deborah Smick and her son were homeless for 10 months, they were living in the car. They both had experienced health problems and were just scraping by with these low wage jobs at fast food places. For whatever reason, the tow truck driver refused to take them in his truck across Route 1 to the service station. The son witnessed his beloved mother being hit by the car and thrown into the air by the force of the impact. I just don’t have the words to express my sorrow for these two humans, for the son who has to live with that horrific image of his mother’s violent demise.