Monroe woman dies in South Brunswick crash

A 21-year-old resident of Monroe died in a crash on Route 130 in South Brunswick Monday night, police said.

Just after 10:30 p.m., police received multiple 911 calls from people who reported that there was an overturned van on Route 130 near Deans Rhode Hall Road.

Eli Szmer, 32, of Monroe was driving a 2003 Ford Econoline on Route 130 southbound when, for unknown reasons, he lost control of his vehicle and crossed the grass divider and the northbound lanes of travel, then struck the guardrail off the northbound shoulder of the highway.

The force of the collision caused the van to flip over, police said. Cassidy Cutler, a front seat passenger in the van, was killed in the crash and pronounced dead at the scene. Szmer and Cutler were the only two occupants of the van. Szmer was uninjured in the crash, police said.

In addition to the South Brunswick Police, the Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad, Monmouth Junction Fire Department, New Jersey State Department of Transportation, and the Middlesex County Medical Examiner responded to the crash. Route 130 was closed in both directions for five hours, police said.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the crash should call the South Brunswick Police Department at (732) 329-4000 ext. 7472.

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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.