A preliminary investigation shows that a 37-year-old Pittsgrove father had some level of narcotics in his system when the car he was driving slammed head on into a tractor-trailer, according to New Jersey State Police. Investigators don't know yet what that means, if anything. They have to wait for full toxicology reports to come in, which could take several weeks.
The crash killed Kevin Shelton and his 5-year-old son, Cole. His 3-year-old daughter Cassidy is hospitalized. State police also say that neither child was strapped in.
The head-on crash happened Wednesday morning around 7 a.m. on U.S. Route 40 at Buck Road in Pittsgrove.
Shelton was taking his kids to the babysitter when his red Pontiac entered the path of the big rig, state police told NBC10's Ted Greenberg Wednesday.
State police also told NBC10 that there were booster seats in the car but from what they can tell at this point in the investigation, no one was strapped in at the time of the crash.
The force of the wreck trapped the Shelton family in their car. Kevin and Cole died. Cassidy was medevac'd to Cooper Hospital in critical condition, cops said. Cassidy was upgraded to stable condition Wednesday afternoon. She suffered bruises and a broken arm.
The unidentified driver of the big rig was shaken but not injured, police told NBC10.
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Route 40 was closed for nearly four hours as investigators tried to figure out what caused the wreck. It was raining in the area at the time of the crash but investigators don't believe weather played a role in the wreck.
"It seems more the driver was distracted possibly by something," said state Trooper Jason Pasqua.
A preliminary investigation by state police revealed that Shelton's red Pontiac crossed from the westbound lanes into the eastbound lanes on Route 40.
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