2 Killed In Head-On Parkway Crash In Southern Ocean County

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, NJ — Two people were killed Friday night in a head-on crash that shut down the Garden State Parkway in both directions, New Jersey State Police said Saturday.

Michelle L. Ross, 50, of Asheville, North Carolina, and Cortney L. Downey, 32, of Northfield, were killed in the crash that happened shortly before 9:30 p.m. in the area of 59.3 on the southbound side of the Parkway, Trooper Charles Marchan said.

Ross was driving a 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander and Downey was driving a Toyota Corolla, which hit head-on in the southbound lanes, Marchan said. The Mitsubishi overturned as a result of the impact, he said.

The information did not indicate which vehicle was driving in the wrong direction.

Both drivers died at the scene, he said.

The crash shut down the Parkway in both directions, with southbound traffic forced to exit at exit 63, according to the state Department of Transportation's 511nj.org Twitter feed.

The crash remains under investigation and Marchan said there was no additional information available.