Crash occurs in Bordentown Township.
By: Dave Koch
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP A fatal car crash at the intersection of Route 528 and Route 130/206 the afternoon of Oct. 4 left two people dead and tied up traffic for almost three hours, police said.
Joseph Rette, 82, of Upper Freehold died Friday at Cooper Hospital University Medical Center in Camden from injuries caused by the accident.
Mr. Rette’s wife, Stella, 77, died a day later at Capital Health Systems Fuld Campus in Trenton also from injuries caused in the accident.
The accident occurred at 2:30 p.m. when Mr. Rette, driving east on Route 528, ran a red light and collided with a Chevrolet driving north on Route 130/206, police said.
Joseph Rette drove his Lincoln Town Car across the southbound lane of Route 130/206 and then struck Robert Smith, 39, an on-duty Trenton police officer, in the northbound lane of traffic, police said.
Mr. Rette was transported by Bordentown City Emergency Medical Services to the Capital Health System Fuld Campus in Trenton, police said.
Mr. Rette was flown on Friday to Cooper Hospital University Medical Center in Camden, where he later died.
Stella Rette was sent to Capital Health Systems Fuld Campus by a New Jersey State Police Medi-vac Helicopter.
Mr. Smith was driven by Bordentown Township EMS to Capital Health System Fuld Campus because he sustained a head injury.
He was treated and later released, police said.
Police closed down Route 130/206 from 2:30 until 5 p.m. One southbound lane of traffic was left open, while cars driving northbound on Route 130/206 were rerouted down Thorntown Lane to Ward Avenue by Chesterfield Township police, said Sgt. Hand.
Mr. Smith was on-duty returning to Trenton after having spent the afternoon at a gun range at Fort Dix, said Detective Sgt. Jim Dellaira, a spokesman for the Trenton Police Department.
Mr. Rette was born in Robbinsville, and was a longtime Upper Freehold resident. He and his wife had been married for 53 years.