2 dead, 7 injured after fiery car crash in Egg Harbor, NJ

Two people were killed and seven others injured in a car crash involving a flame near the New Jersey coast on Friday evening, according to local authorities.

Several vehicles were involved in Friday night’s crash, including a 2017 Nissan Sentra that crossed the center line of Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township, NJ.com reported. It struck a 2018 Kia Forte head-on and burst into flames.

The force of the impact also caused the Kia Forte to be thrown backwards and collided with the red 2020 Nissan Sentra driving behind it, which then veered off the road.

The driver of the Kia, 21-year-old Escarlin Suriel of Atlantic City, and a person in the 2017 Nissan Sentra, identified by police as 22-year-old Gabriella Constrantino, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two children, a boy and a girl, who were also traveling in the latter vehicle, were taken to nearby hospitals, where their condition was classified as critical on Saturday afternoon.

A 25-year-old from Pleasantville and a 27-year-old from Atlantic City also suffered serious injuries in the crash, while two others were treated for minor injuries. Their names were not released.

According to police, the last victim, a Good Samaritan who helped the occupants of the burning vehicle, was also taken to hospital. His condition was not immediately known.

Other passersby also stopped to help, Egg Harbor Township police said.

“There were several witnesses and other passing motorists who then stopped and helped pull the occupants of the Nissan from the vehicle before it was fully engulfed in flames,” Chief Frederick Spano said in a statement to CBS News. “We are grateful to the individuals who acted quickly and selflessly.”

According to police, the Black Horse Pike, a major thoroughfare between Atlantic City and Philadelphia, was closed in both directions while authorities investigated the accident. The road has since reopened.