Donna Piegaro, 53, of Spotswood was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which closed Route 9 southbound for more than nine hours from Old Bridge to Manalapan Township, a Marlboro police spokesman said.
The crash toppled a telephone pole onto the victim's Ford Edge and wires onto four other vehicles, Marlboro Captain Stephen Levy said. No one else was hurt, he said.
Piegaro was trapped after the pole fell next to the U-Haul parking lot at 415 Route 9 South, Levy said.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, Levy said.
The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation however alcohol and/or drugs do not appear to be a factor, Levy said on Tuesday.
Route 9 Northbound was re-opened at approximately 10 pm on Monday. Route 9 southbound was re-opened at approximately 1 am on Tuesday..
Captain David Ruditsky of the Marlboro Township Police Traffic and Safety Bureau is now the lead investigator. He can be reached at 732-535-0100 ext. 1090 or Druditsky@marlboropd.org
Wires stretched over both the northbound and southbound lanes of Route 9, Levy said. As a result, the highway was closed for hours in both directions from Texas Road in Old Bridge Township to Gordons Corner Road in Manalapan Township. The state Department of Transportation responded and a detour was set up.
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