Fatal injuries
attributed to
misuse of belt
EAST BRUNSWICK— A man was killed and his wife was seriously injured after their car skidded off an icy Oakmont Avenue at 7 a.m. Jan. 8.
Assadawagd Assad, 54, of Flemington was traveling with his wife to the St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church on Riva Avenue when the accident occurred, according to Sgt. Russell MacArthur of the East Brunswick Police Department.
Assad was apparently unable to negotiate a curve in the roadway just before Riva Avenue, according to police. His vehicle, a 1991 Honda Accord, slid off the road and hit a tree.
Police said Assad, who was unconscious at the scene, was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. He was pronounced dead about two hours following the accident due to massive internal injuries.
Assad’s wife, Laila, 50, suffered broken ribs, facial cuts and internal injuries and was listed in critical condition last week at Robert Wood Johnson.
MacArthur said the Assads were only wearing the shoulder portion of their seat belts, not the lap portion. As a result, they slipped out of the seat belts and Assad’s abdomen hit the steering wheel, thus causing his injuries.