Two Bridgeton residents die in Christmas morning crash

WESTAMPTON - Two Bridgeton residents died in a Christmas morning crash on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Pedro Morales Rojas, 28, and Rolando Perez Aragon, 21, were passengers in a car that collided with a tractor-trailer on the northbound highway in Westampton, according to New Jersey State Police.

The car's driver, 30-year-old Higinio Martinez Sanchez of Bridgeton, was seriously injured in the accident around 5:15 a.m., police said.

The truck driver, Lazaro Gonzalez, 34, of Miami, had minor injuries.

According to a police account, the accident occurred when the truck pulled into the center lane to pass a car carrying the Bridgeton residents.

The car then began to enter the center lane and was struck by the truck near milepost 42, a preliminary investigation indicates.

The crash remains under investigation.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: NJ Turnpike crash claim life of Bridgeton residents