Woman Dies After SUV Crashes Into NJ Shopping Center Pond

SUV driven by an elderly woman careens off Route 73 and into a pond outside the Promenade at Sagemore

An elderly woman died despite a dramatic rescue attempt in Marlton, N.J. Tuesday afternoon after she apparently lost control of her SUV, driving into a pond off Route 73.

The crash happened around 3:40 p.m. at a man-made retention pond at the Promenade at Sagemore located between Evesham and Brick Roads on Route 73 South.

Maria Santos, 79, apparently lost control of her car at the southwest corner of the shopping complex and launched about 30 feet into the pond, Evesham Police said.

Police arrived on the scene to find Santos' SUV completely submerged in the water and witnesses said the driver was still inside, cops said.

Rescuers were able to free the Riverside, N.J. woman from the wreck and performed CPR on Santos, but it was too late, she never regained consciousness and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday to determine a cause of death but it's possible that she suffered a heart attack, officials said.

Originally it was believed that a second person was in the car but apparently Santos was alone driving along Route 73 northbound when she lost control of her SUV, police said.

No word on exactly what caused the deadly crash.

Traffic along Route 73 was snarled during the busy evening rush as officials investigated the crash.

One member of the Evesham Fire Department suffered a cut hand from broken glass, police said.


Fan, follow and download: Get the latest from NBCPhiladelphia.com anytime, anywhere. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, our mobile site and NBC Philadelphia. Sign up for our breaking news newsletter. And, get breaking news delivered right to your mobile phone -- just text PHIBREAKING to 639710 to sign up. (Message and data rates may apply.)

Contact Us