A Toms River woman, the sole occupant of a blue Hyundai Santa Fe that went off the roadway of the northbound Garden State Parkway Tuesday morning, died from her injuries, state police said.
Claire Baier, 56, was declared deceased at the scene, police said.
There were some witnesses to the accident, who told police the vehicle "slowly drifted off the roadway," said State Police Sgt. Stephen Jones.
The vehicle hit a guard rail before it flipped over into a wooded area, Jones said.
Residual traffic delays from the 8:30 a.m. accident lasted through into the afternoon.
JosephGhabourLaw
4:17 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and loved ones. Please be careful on our busy roads.
.
4:46 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
How sad. Probably on her way to work!
Kenneth
4:59 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Even with the slower speed limit in that corridor of the GSP I witness cars flying by 80+ MPH. When will people learn to slow down and stop trying to speed thru life (in no way am I suggesting this is what occured in this incident). My thoughts and prayers to her family.
.
6:07 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The story says she "slowly" drifted off the road way. Perhaps it was a medical issue.
I do agree that the slower limit does not matter at all in that stretch of roadway. I used to commute 150 miles road trip a day and am very glad those days are over.
John B Taxpayer
10:03 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Speed was Not a Factor.
CShorShell
11:02 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
My understanding is that the accident was caused by a health condition of some kind and NOTHING to do with speed.
Kenneth
6:25 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Again, not insinuating in the least that she was speeding but rather making an overall comment as it relates to not only that section of the GSP but the overall nature of the vast majority of drivers here in NJ that travel the GSP.
Lee Kissel
7:51 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Do you really think that damage could have occured if she was doing 55 MPH????The police investigators know how fast she was going !!
Brian Earp
6:45 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
i past by shortly after the accident, the vehicle was on its roof in the tree line. it is a shame yet another life has been taken by the roads of ocean county.
Kenneth
8:42 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
In looking at the state transportation website, between Northbound GSP mile markers 89.4 and 92.7, there are 3 entry ramps (Route 70, Cedar Bridge, and Burnt Tavern) and 1 exit ramp ( Chambers Bridge). Leading into this section is 3 lanes of traffic before swithcing to 4 lanes at mile marker 92.0. I realize that the entry and exit ramps are established due to primary roads of conveniance but this is a large volume of traffic entering and exiting a 3 mile stretch of the GSP whereby vehicles are packed in like sardines and playing Frogger to establish their lane positions all the while trying to avoid being driven over by those vehicles determined to drive well in excess of the speed limit.
John Destasio
10:23 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
An eye witness rteports that they saw the woman slumped over with her head on the steering wheel. It sounds to me like a prior medical issue. And yes, a car doing 55, with ZERO control over the steering wheel that hits a guard rail can certainly flip. My thoughts and prayers to the family.
CShorShell
11:06 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Yes you are correct. It was a medical issue.
Ken
11:32 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
"Gotta get there faster than everyone else" is the motto for the Parkway!
Not sayin she was speeding,
May God give her everlasting peace!
Joseph Woolston Brick
12:36 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Don't know if this lady had a heart attack or not, but womens symptoms of a heart attack and mens are totally different Most people can tell you what the symptoms are for a man but not for a woman. I think it's time for the public to be re-informed as to what the differences are so that if a woman does get the symptoms that she realizes what is happening or the people around the victim do.
Martin
7:20 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
There don't seem to be many cops on the free Parkway sections. It's the wild west.
Mr X
2:15 am on Monday, July 30, 2012
Your so-called "free-stretch" of the Parkway is south of the Toms River tolls and continues for a few miles (and then there's the one up in Union County). Moreover, it's not where the accident happened. Also, the free-stretch may not even be Parkway, it may be Route 9 or a Route 9-Parkway overlay, and its maintained by the NJDOT
Where the accident happened is a part of the Parkway where the shoulders were narrowed or eliminated and the lanes were also narrowed to created an additional traffic lane, that's why the speed limit was reduced to 55 MPH. If you remember, the Parkway said (at the time lanes were narrowed years ago) that it sw no hazard increase because of the narrowing of the lanews, but that proved wrong and the speed limit was reduced. It's about time the Parkway improved the road with all the excessive tolls it collects!
By the way, the woman could have fallen asleep. Whether of not she was speeding can be determined from the computer the vehicles probably had in it if the vehicle was new enough to be so equiped.
barbara
8:29 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Very sad. RIP and sympathies to her family and friends.
Guntoter66
8:39 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Brian, "The roads of Ocean County"? You surely aren't blaming the "roads" for this tragedy? That's like blaming a fork, for Rosie O'Donnell being fat!
Laurie
8:51 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Not to mention it's the Garden STATE Parkway, not the Ocean County Parkway.
Bryan
8:44 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
My heart goes out to her family. The state police need to take a page from the manchester pd. Speeding is out of control on the parkway, if you are driving 75 in the right lanes you will get run over! Speed didnt seem to be the cause here.
Scorn&SlightRegard
8:53 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
My condolences to this Lady and her family for this unfortunate tragedy. The following comment does not pertain to this particular incident --
It's not the roads, it's the way some people drive on them. Those 3 exits in Brick are really no different than any other section of the Parkway that connects to the main local roads. I'd be willing to bet that 5,000 cars per hour pass through those 3 interchanges without incident. As soon as there's an accident.......someone blames it on the roads.
Barry Fleckmann
9:38 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
"That's like blaming a fork for Rosie O'Donnell being fat."
- Guntoter66.
As Muhammad Ali once said, "the best exercise in the world, is pushing yourself AWAY from the dinner table."
Hector Logan
1:03 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I'm glad the traffic has finally cleared. Who writes these headlines anyway?
marcy
1:13 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Since it was a medical emergency that caused her to crash. That's what it was apparently. it could happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Just pray for her family.
Bryan
3:00 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Just for the record she was from pine lake section of manchester
Hector Logan
10:15 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Facts and accuracy need not apply.
Susan Mazza
3:44 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I drive the parkway often and it amazes me how many people weave in and out of traffic like maniacs doing speeds of at least 65- 70 mph judging that if I am doing 55mph they are flying by me and not a blinker to be seen!!!! I guess we are all suppose to know that you are going to jump from one lane to another!
Freind
4:37 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Rest in peace Claire..you will be missed. Fly high little Angel!
Rachel Tomasi
9:43 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
We ran late and were on that stretch around 1130 ish and traffic was backed up to the point we got off and picked the gsp up further down. At the time I was just worried about running late. Now I'm just so sorry to hear of this. Definitely sounds completely non speed related and while I agree it's to the point those of us who prefer to sick to 55 are not safe at this point, it amazes me people decide to debate this on the article about a woman's death; someone's mom maybe and sister and friend!! To those who knew this lady, you have my sincere sympathies.
Joseph Emerson
6:06 pm on Thursday, July 19, 2012
Just say a prayer
True Friend
3:19 pm on Friday, July 20, 2012
Claire was my beloved friend. I will truly miss her presence. She was one of the sweetest people you could ever know. Would do anything for anyone. Rest in peace my friend. I will never forget you.