1 Dead In 'Serious' Motor Vehicle Crash In Marlboro; Route 9 Shut

MARLBORO, NJ – A fatal Route 9 crash prompted road closures "indefinitely," downed multiple utility poles and delayed several bus routes in Marlboro Township on Monday afternoon.

At approximately 1 p.m. on Aug. 10, the Marlboro Township Police Department received several 9-1-1 calls reporting a motor vehicle accident southbound on Route 9 near Union Hill Road, according to police. A Ford Edge struck a telephone pole, then crashed into a U-Haul truck parked in the U-Haul parking lot at 415 Route 9 South.

The telephone came down onto the Ford Edge, trapping the driver, Donna Piegaro, 53, inside. Piegaro, a Spotswood resident, was pronounced dead at the scene.

While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor, according to authorities.

The telephone pole that was hit by the driver caused other poles in the vicinity to lean over the highway, resulting in downed wires all along Route 9. The Department of Transportation responded to the scene and set up a detour; JCP&L also responded and will be on location conducting repair work for an extended period of time, according to Marlboro police.

As of 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Route 9 was closed from Texas Road in Old Bridge to Gordons Corner Road in Manalapan. According to authorities, a trail of downed wires and poles extended from Union Hill to the Manalapan border.

Route 9 Northbound was reopened at approximately 10 p.m. on Monday, while Route 9 Southbound was reopened at approximately 1 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Marlboro Township Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Robertsville Fire Department, Morganville First Aid Squad, Marlboro First Aid Squad and paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital all responded to the scene.

The Robertsville Fire Department, a volunteer fire company in Marlboro, announced on Twitter that Route 9 is "closed in both directions at Union Hill Road indefinitely." The department also wrote that the cause was a serious motor vehicle accident, bringing down poles and wires in both directions on the major road.

The Robertsville Fire Department urges drivers to avoid the entire area so that emergency crews can respond quickly.

North Jersey buses are also delayed along Route 9, with bus routes 67, 135, 137, 138 and 139 subject to up to 15-minute delays in Marlboro.

While less than 30 JCP&L customers were reported without power in the township on Monday morning, over 770 customers are without electricity as of 2 p.m., according to the power authority's outage map. Outages can be reported to 888-544-4877.

It was not immediately clear how many vehicles were involved in the incident or if there were any injuries reported at the scene.

The crash is currently under investigation by Cpl. David Ruditsky of the Marlboro Township Police Traffic and Safety Bureau. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Cpl. Ruditsky at (732) 535-0100 ext. 1090 or Druditsky@marlboropd.org.

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