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Mario Heslop, of New Brunswick, was behind the wheel of a 2013 Infiniti Q50S heading eastbound in the left lane of Hamilton Street when he crossed the centerline around 5:30 p.m. in Franklin Township on Monday, June 19, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said.
Heslop struck a westbound vehicle in the left lane, at the intersection of Hillcrest Avenue, McDonald said. The second vehicle, driven by a Hillsborough resident, was then struck from the rear by a third vehicle, who was also traveling westbound in the left lane of Hamilton Street, according to investigators.
Heslop was treated at the scene and rushed to a local trauma center and pronounced dead shortly after.
The Hillsborough resident was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, while the driver of the third vehicle refused medical attention at the scene.
Heslop, a Franklin High School graduate, set the NJ State record for the 300 meter dash as a junior in 2018 and was described as “arguably one of the best high school sprinters in New Jersey” in a tribute by MileSplitNJ which also ranked him the 2019 Indoor Athlete of the Year.
The crash investigation is being led by the Franklin Township Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at (908) 231-7100 or the Franklin Township Police Department at (732) 873-5533.
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