One man is dead and another driver seriously injured after an early morning crash that sent one car into a pond and the second into a tree.
That second car burst into flames and was cut virtually in half by the impact.
The accident happened around 4:30 a.m. at Grant Avenue and Jackson Avenue in Franklinville, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Investigators say both men were driving at a high rate of speed in the same direction.
Investigators say twenty-two-year-old Lateef Scarlett, the driver of the 1992 BMW that went into the pond, and landed upside down, did not survive. Police say he was dead when divers pulled him from his car two hours later.
John Dingle, Jr., 21, the driver of the other car, walked away from the crash on his own. He was airlifted to Cooper Medical Center in Camden where he is in stable condition with minor injuries.
Brian Lindley, who lives in the neighborhood, said he heard a car racing down Jackson Avenue, heard the sound of the crash and went outside to see what had happened.
"The car was up in flames and one gentleman was staggering down the road," Lindley said.
He said Dingle sat inside his truck until emergency crews arrived.
Neighbors say the area is a popular one for street racing.
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A tow truck pulled the victim's car out of the water this morning.
Accident investigators remain on the scene to determine the cause.
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