New Jersey Attorney General’s Office investigating fatal crash in Sussex County involving police officer
UPDATE: AG IDs victim, officer in fatal Sussex County crash
FRANKLIN BOROUGH, NJ (Sussex County) — The Attorney General’s Office is investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash that occurred Monday, May 27 in Franklin Borough.
According to the preliminary investigation, an on-duty Franklin police officer, operating a department vehicle, was involved in a collision with a civilian vehicle at around 10:41 a.m. near the intersection of State Route 23 and Walsh Road, officials said.
A female passenger in the civilian vehicle sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to Morristown Medical Center for treatment. The male driver of the civilian vehicle was treated and released. The involved officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
The female civilian passenger was pronounced dead at 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 29, officials said.
The identities of those involved were not released.
“The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time,” authorities said.
A 2019 law, N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.
