Woman killed after 2 cars smash into laundromat in Newark, New Jersey
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- One woman was killed after two cars smashed into a laundromat in Newark, New Jersey on Monday.
Essex County officials said a pickup truck struck a parked vehicle outside the Ivy Hill Laundromat on Irvington Avenue around 2:30 p.m., causing both cats to crash into the front of the business.
They say the victim, a woman, was seated at a table near the front of the laundromat when she was struck. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A man told Eyewitness News that it was his friend who was trying to drive away in a white pickup after they had been drinking together in the parking lot. He said his friend drank too much.
Another man said he had seen the two men drinking earlier.
"The truck driver was parked back there before the accident. I didn't see the accident. I was there before. He was drinking with the other guy over there," the man said.
Moments after getting behind the wheel, the wild crash unfolded.
A woman who owns a white SUV, the second vehicle involved in the crash, had parked in front of the laundromat. She went inside to check on her clothes, when she says the pick-up driver smashed into her car, sending both vehicles through the front.
"I didn't see the driver. I never saw the driver. When I came out, no one was there. My car was totaled. I don't know what's next," the woman said.
There were several people inside the business, who were suddenly alarmed by the loud bang.
"I turned around and I saw the two cars hit the window, and there was one worker. I looked and I saw her. The impact sent her flying down the aisle. And I tried to ask her if she needed any help, but she didn't speak English, and I didn't speak Spanish. But when the police got here, they called an ambulance and they took her to the hospital," said Anne, who heard the crash.
Officials say the investigation is active and ongoing.
Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Tips Line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432. All calls will remain confidential.
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