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One man has been killed and two more were injured when a driver crossed the center line of traffic on Franklin Boulevard on December 28, 2013.
The Franklin Township crash occurred around 5:00 p.m. as 49-year-old Mark Byrd was driving southbound in his 1997 Mitsubishi Galant—his car suddenly veering into the opposing lane. According to authorities, Byrd’s vehicle struck a 2006 Toyota Sienna head-on near the Hamilton Street intersection.
Police documents indicate that Byrd, a resident of New Brunswick, had to be extracted from his vehicle by officers who arrived on the scene. Police attempted lifesaving efforts before transporting Byrd to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Officers have said in a statement that Byrd was pronounced dead approximately an hour after the crash occurred.
The occupants of the minivan, a 15-year-old girl and her 45-year-old mother, sustained minor injuries in the crash. The two victims, both residents of Monmouth Junction, are expected to fully recover.
Both the northbound and southbound lanes of Franklin Boulevard were closed for about four hours to allow rescue personnel and police access to the scene. The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office collision analysis and reconstruction team as well as the township police’s traffic safety bureau are working together to determine the probable cause of the accident.
Investigations into the crash are ongoing. Anyone with information about the accident is encouraged to contact the prosecutor’s office’s TIPS hotline at 888-577-TIPS (8477).
The staff at MFR Law Office would like to extend their deepest condolences to the victim’s family, and remind all drivers to stay safe this holiday season.