NJ woman, 80, killed in tragic crash after car hits 4 trees

🔴 An 80-year-old Whiting woman was killed

🔴 She was not wearing a seatbelt, police said

🔴 A similar crash happened two days before

MANCHESTER — A Whiting woman is dead after her SUV crashed through a fence and into a tree Saturday night.

Manchester police said a white 2018 Ford Ecosport heading south on Washington Lane went through a stop sign at the intersection with New Mexico Drive around 9 p.m.

The vehicle jumped the curb and went through a fence before hitting a tree head-on. When the Ecosport hit the tree, the vehicle spun and hit three more trees.

Photos of the crash scene showed the SUV had significant damage to its front end. Its deployed airbags could be seen through the windows.

Patricia Ford, 80, of Whiting was fatally injured in the crash. She later died from her injuries at Community Medical Center.

It appeared that Ford suffered an "unknown medical event" leading up to the crash, police said.

Officers also found she had not been wearing her seatbelt. She was the only person in the vehicle at the time.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Second crash in days

The crash in Whiting on Saturday evening is the second recent crash in Manchester in which a driver in their 80s accelerated when they should not have.

An 88-year-old Whiting woman suffered injuries to her neck, back, chest and face when she drove into a liquor store on Thursday.

The driver was wearing a seatbelt, police said.

Manchester police chalked the crash up to "driver error," though an investigation is ongoing.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom