A three-vehicle collision that resulted in the death of a young child on a state highway in Howell Township yesterday afternoon is under active investigation, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Sunday.

Shortly before 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, January 13, members of the Howell Township Police Department responded to New Jersey State Route 34 just north of the interchange with State Route 33 on a report of a collision. At that location they found the three involved vehicles: a 2014 Dodge Ram pickup truck with an adult female driver, a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee with an adult female driver and three passengers, including two children, and a 2021 Ford Bronco with an adult female driver.

The drivers of the pickup truck and the Ford Bronco sustained minor injuries. The driver of the Jeep Cherokee sustained a serious injury and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. One of the two child passengers in the Cherokee, a 3-year-old girl, was pronounced deceased at the scene, while the other, a 2-year-old boy, sustained minor injuries and was hospitalized for observation.

Route 34 remained closed in both directions while an investigation involving members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team (SCART), and the Howell Township Police Department continued; the highway reopened at approximately 10:15 p.m.

Anyone with information about this matter is being asked to contact MCPO Agent Reginald Grant at 800-533-7443 or Howell Township Police Officer Daniel Scherbinski at 732-938-4575, Ext. 2663.