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Lajoy Battle, 41, was found unconscious with no pulse as officers responded to the crash behind HomeGoods at the Valley Mall in Gillette around 10:30 a.m., Long Hill Township Police Chief Ahmed Naga said.
According to witnesses, Battle, of Jersey City, was speeding through the parking lot in a blue 2021 Lexus IS300 when she veered off the roadway, hit a tree, and landed in a shallow part of the Passaic River behind the plaza, Naga said.
Emergency crews had to break the windows to access Battle, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy is being performed to determine Battle’s cause of death, Naga said.
Assisting agencies include the Stirling Fire Department, Millington Fire Department, Berkeley Heights Fire Department, and Morris County Sheriff’s Emergency Services Unit.
The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Long Hill Township Police Department at 908-647-1800.
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