Death by Cop 2026
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Name Withheld
Age : 21
Gender : Female
Race : Unknown
Date : 02/20/2026
Location : Route 1 South at Gill Lane
City : Woodbridge
County : Middlesex
State : New Jersey
Agency : Woodbridge Police Department
Officer(s) :Unknown
Cause of Death : Vehicle
Event : Passenger killed by police chase crash
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY : On 02/20/2026, a Woodbridge police officer activated emergency lights and attempted to stop a Nissan Maxima on Route 1 South near Gill Lane for a traffic violation. The driver refused to stop and accelerated. Officers escalated a high-speed pursuit along the highway. While still in motion, the fleeing Nissan violently collided with another civilian vehicle in adjacent traffic lanes. The impact tore both vehicles into mangled, crumpled metal; both cars were left in pieces across the roadway, requiring an extended closure for cleanup and investigation. Investigators described the crash as devastating and extensive.
Responders found a 21-year-old female passenger in the fleeing Nissan dead at the scene. A dog inside the same vehicle also died from injuries sustained in the collision. Three other people — including occupants of both the fleeing vehicle and the struck vehicle — suffered serious injuries and were transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is investigating the fatal pursuit.
On 02/20/2026, a Woodbridge police officer activated emergency lights and attempted to stop a Nissan Maxima on Route 1 South near Gill Lane for a traffic violation. The driver refused to stop and accelerated. Officers escalated a high-speed pursuit along the highway. While still in motion, the fleeing Nissan violently collided with another civilian vehicle in adjacent traffic lanes. The impact tore both vehicles into mangled, crumpled metal; both cars were left in pieces across the roadway, requiring an extended closure for cleanup and investigation. Investigators described the crash as devastating and extensive.
Responders found a 21-year-old female passenger in the fleeing Nissan dead at the scene. A dog inside the same vehicle also died from injuries sustained in the collision. Three other people — including occupants of both the fleeing vehicle and the struck vehicle — suffered serious injuries and were transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is investigating the fatal pursuit.
SOURCE LINKS :
https://abc7ny.com/post/1-dead-3-injured-car-crash-woodbridge-nj/18623992/
https://nj1015.com/woodbridge-police-chase-crash/
https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2026/02/20/fatal-woodbridge-nj-route-1-crash-after-police-pursuit-investigated/88782423007/