Single dad, 92-year-old among 4 dead on NJ highways in 24 hours

Four people died in car crashes on New Jersey highways within 24 hours, including two people in who died in a single collision Sunday afternoon.

A Dodge Caravan driven by 18-year-old Zachary Janda of Tuckerton heading east on Route 72 in Woodland and a Mercury Grand Marquis driven by a 92-year-old man headed west driven collided in the westbound lanes around 2 p.m. on Sunday, according to State Police spokesman Trooper Charles Marchan.

Marchan said both died from their injuries sustained in the crash. The 92-year-old man's identity was disclosed on Tuesday as Joseph Bruno of Hamilton (Mercer).

Janda graduated from Pinelands Regional High School in June, according to his Facebook page.

State Police said Kristen Leary, 29, of North Plainfield died early Monday morning in the southbound inner lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike in Woodbridge when her Honda was struck by a Subaru going the wrong way around 1:45 a.m, according to State Police spokesman Sgt. Lawrence Peele.

The driver of the Subaru was identified only as a 23-year-old man from State College, Pennsylvania. Peele said. No charges have been filed and an investigation into the crash is ongoing, according to Peele.

Early Sunday a 2010 Ford Edge driven by Stephen M. Chiarle, 48, of the North Cape May section of Lower Township was struck on its side by a Honda CRV on the northbound side near exit 58 for Route 539 (Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor) around 2:20 a.m., according to Marchan.

A GoFundMe page was created to help with his family's expenses.

The driver of the Honda, Stephen M. Izzo from the Milmay section of Buena Vista, was hospitalized for serious injuries, Marchan said.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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