A 23-year-old Mays Landing woman died early Sunday after losing control of her car on Route 40 in Hamilton Township, striking another vehicle before leaving the roadway and hitting a tree. Giana Fortson was pronounced dead at the scene, and the highway near Strand Avenue was closed for roughly four hours while investigators worked.
According to Shore News Network, police were called to Route 40 and Strand Avenue at about 6:18 a.m. on Nov. 8. Investigators said Fortson was driving west on Route 40 in a 2008 Toyota Scion when she lost control and struck the rear of a 2025 Nissan Versa driven by 20-year-old Ashlie Guevara Angel of Pleasantville.
After the impact, Fortson's car left the road and hit a tree, while the Nissan also left the roadway and came to rest in a residential yard on the eastbound side, the outlet reports. Fortson suffered traumatic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. She was alone in her car and was not wearing a seatbelt, and police reported no other injuries from the crash.
What Investigators Have Not Said
Police have not said what caused Fortson to lose control of her vehicle, according to the same report. Whether road conditions, speed, or another factor contributed to the crash remains unaddressed in the available accounts.
Route 40 was closed for about four hours while crews investigated the scene, the report notes. The Township of Hamilton Rescue Squad, AtlantiCare Paramedics, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation all responded to assist at the site.
A Second Fatal Crash Near the Same Stretch
This is not the first deadly crash reported near Strand Avenue in Hamilton Township this year. In February, 41-year-old Mays Landing resident William Bussey III was killed in a single-car crash on Route 40 after losing control of a 2015 Cadillac XTS while driving eastbound, according to Daily Voice. In that crash, the vehicle left the roadway via the westbound shoulder and struck a series of trees, and Route 40 was shut down for approximately three hours while the scene was investigated.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed Sunday's crash to come forward. Witnesses can call Sgt. Jacobi at 609-625-2700, extension 541.
