Pedestrian, 72, killed leaving religious service Sun. night

By brian donahue
Staff Writer

Pedestrian, 72, killed leaving religious service Sun. night

By brian donahue

Staff Writer

A 72-year-old Freehold Township woman was killed Sunday evening after being struck by a car while leaving a religious service in Monroe Township.

Irene Huber of Sawbuck Road was crossing Englishtown Road after a service held at a private residence at 556 Englishtown Road around 8 p.m. when she was hit by a 1999 Jeep Cherokee being driven north on Englishtown Road by Ginger M. Olszewski, 41, of East Brunswick, according to Sgt. Kenneth J.K. Gross of the Monroe Township Police Department.

The Monroe First-Aid Squad responded, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and transported Huber to CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township, where she was pronounced dead at 9:04 p.m.

Olszewski, who had a friend and a 9-year-old son in her vehicle, was not seriously injured, but was taken to Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge division, for observation and evaluation following the accident, according to a police report.

Police said that at the time of the accident, Huber was running across the street to get to her van, which was in the parking lot of the Railroad Salvage building. Gross said police were uncertain whether she was running in order to avoid the oncoming car, or if she had simply gained momentum while coming down a slope at the end of the residential driveway.

"We don’t know if she saw the car, or if she was trying to beat the car," Gross said. He described conditions at the scene as dark — the closest street light is at an intersection about 100 yards away, and the Railroad Salvage property is not well lit, he said. There were no cars parked along the street that could have obstructed the view, he said. Huber, who police said lived with her son, was alone while leaving the service. Police were uncertain what type of religious service was held at the house, or whether services are held there regularly. The accident is being investigated by the Middlesex County Fatal Accident Unit and Monroe police. Any witnesses are asked to call Monroe’s Traffic Safety Unit at (732) 521-0222.