SOUTH AMBOY – Police are investigating a motor vehicle crash in which one man was killed and two others were injured in South Amboy on Jan. 29.
The victim, Benjamin Navarrete, 48, of Old Bridge, was struck while reportedly standing outside of his Mitsubishi Outlander as he was attempting to secure his child in the car, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Chief Darren Lavigne of the South Amboy Police Department announced in a joint statement on Jan. 30.
The investigation began after police were dispatched to the scene of the crash on Jack O’Leary Boulevard, in front of the YMCA, at 4:58 p.m.
Officials did not address if the victim was in the street or in the parking lot at the time, and on which side of his vehicle he was standing.
They also would not comment if the victim was propelled into the YMCA.
“Unverified information was prematurely released by the South Amboy mayor’s office. The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and the South Amboy Police Department are working diligently to determine the facts surrounding the incident,” a spokesperson said.
Navarrete was airlifted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick where he was later pronounced dead from his injuries at 6:20 p.m., officials said.
The driver, a 53-year-old South Amboy resident, was driving a Toyota Corolla, which reportedly struck the victim, according to reports. He was taken to the hospital for his injuries. He is considered to be in stable condition, as of press time.
Also injured in the crash was the 6-year-old daughter of the victim. She was taken to hospital and has non-life threatening injuries, officials said.
It is unclear if any charges have been filed against the driver.
The crash is being investigated by Detective David Keegan of the South Amboy Police Department and Detective Mark Morris of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Anyone with information Keegan at 732-721-0111 or Morris at 732-745-4194.