Car split in turnpike crash; 1 teen dead, 3 badly hurt
Three teenagers from Pennsylvania were in critical condition yesterday following a Monday night car crash on the New Jersey Turnpike that split the automobile in two, killing a fourth teen.
Thomas Burke, 18, of Perkasie, was driving three friends to Great Adventure Theme Park in his Mitsubishi Eclipse when he lost control of the car about 6:30 p.m. in Woolwich Township. The car careered down a highway berm and struck a tree. The impact tore the car in half, said Lt. Gerald Lewis, a state police spokesman.
Kisha Hesse, 18, of Sellersville, was killed instantly. Burke, John Jeffries, 17, of Hatfield, and Amanda Achepohl, 18, of Perkasie, were thrown from the car and found in a nearby wooded area. None appeared to have been wearing seat belts, Lewis said.
The three survivors were flown by helicopter to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where Burke was being treated for a broken neck, Jeffries a concussion and a broken arm, and Achepohl for injuries to her head and pelvis, Lewis said.
Police were unsure if speed or alcohol played a role. Toxicology tests will not be available for six to eight weeks. - Sam Wood
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