Cara McCollum, a South Jersey TV news anchor who was crowned Miss New Jersey 2013, was critically injured in a car accident Monday evening on Route 55 in Salem County, authorities say.

The 24-year-old Margate resident was traveling northbound on Route 55 in Salem County around 7 p.m. Monday evening when she lost control of her car, according to State Police. McCollum’s car spun off the right side of road and hit a tree head-on at mile marker 38.4. Her car then hit two other trees on the side of the road before coming to rest at the bottom of an embankment.

Police say speed and wet roads were a factor in the accident, but McCollum was wearing her seat belt.

Cara McCollum, SNJ Today news anchor, is recovering from critical injuries sustained in an accident last evening. Cara...

Posted by SNJ Today on Tuesday, February 16, 2016

McCollum reigned as Miss New Jersey 2013 and became SNJ Today's main news anchor last summer.

Her demo reel from last year is below:

— Information from the Associated Press was used in this report

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