A fatal head-on collision early Friday morning in Brick Township claimed the life of a Whiting woman, authorities announced.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer confirmed that Anne Rasmussen, 58, was killed in the crash, which occurred around 5:00 a.m. on December 27 near the Lowe’s home improvement store on Route 70.
Brick Township Police responded to the scene to find two vehicles—a Toyota Rav 4 and a Volkswagen Beetle—had collided head-on. Rasmussen, the driver of the Beetle, was partially ejected from her vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Toyota Rav 4, Jose Romero Quinteros, 53, of Howell, had to be extricated from his vehicle by emergency responders. He was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he remains in critical but stable condition.
An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Brick Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit found that Quinteros had been traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Route 70. His vehicle crossed over the concrete barrier separating the roadway before colliding with Rasmussen’s car.
Quinteros has been issued summonses for Driving While Intoxicated and Reckless Driving by Brick Township Police. The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Prosecutor Billhimer urges anyone with information related to the crash to contact Detective Joseph Mitchell at the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027, ext. 3532, or Officer David Thergesen at the Brick Township Police Department at 732-262-1100.