Lawrenceville Woman Killed In Memorial Day Crash On Route 130: PD

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — A 55-year-old Lawrenceville woman was one of two people who were killed in a crash Monday morning on Rt. 130 near Wheeling Road in South Brunswick, police announced.

Zarine Arshakyan has been identified as one of two victims in the Memorial Day crash that took place at about 7:37 a.m. South Brunswick police said the other was Michael Santana, 24, of Staten Island.

Arshakyan was driving a 2015 Toyota south on Route 130 when she was hit by Santana, who was driving a 2016 Nissan north on Route 130, police said. Santana had lost control of his vehicle, spun out, crossed the median and struck Arshakyan’s car, police said.

Both cars came to rest in the southbound side of the highway. Arshakyan's vehicle was then sideswiped by a 2013 Honda driven by Astra Witty, 40, of Scotch Plains, who was not injured in the crash.

Traffic investigators say speed was a factor in the initial crash. The crash continued to cause a chain reaction: A separate two-car crash took place near the scene as other drivers tried to avoid the initial fatal crash.

Responding to the crash scene was South Brunswick EMS, Monmouth Junction Fire Department, New Jersey State Department of Transportation, Middlesex County Medical Examiners and South Brunswick Police Traffic Safety Bureau. Route 130 was closed for eight hours during the crash investigation.

Anyone with information on this crash is asked to contact South Brunswick Traffic Safety Bureau Officer William Merkler at 732-329-4000, ext. 7412.

Story by Carly Baldwin, Patch Staff