By: Richard L. Smith
New Jersey State Police are investigating a deadly wrong-way crash on Interstate 80 in Passaic County early Monday that left two people dead and two others, including a child , hospitalized.
Troopers responded to the westbound lanes of I-80 near milepost 54.1 in Totowa at approximately 2:08 a.m. for reports of a serious motor-vehicle crash.
According to a preliminary investigation, a Honda sedan driven by Albin Fermin, 30, of Newark, was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes when it collided head-on with a Buick SUV.
State Police said the Buick was operated by Joanne Furman, 60, of Norwich, Connecticut. She was traveling with two passengers — Imani Alexis Furman, 24, and a two-year-old child, also from Norwich.
The impact caused catastrophic damage to both vehicles.
Fermin and Imani Furman were pronounced dead as a result of their injuries, authorities said.
Joanne Furman sustained serious injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The two-year-old child suffered moderate injuries and was also hospitalized.
No additional details have been released as investigators work to determine what led to the wrong-way travel and the deadly crash.
The investigation remains active and ongoing, according to New Jersey State Police.