BLOOMSBURY BOROUGH, NJ — A 37-year-old Washington, New Jersey woman died after a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 78 West in Hunterdon County during the morning commute. State police said the wreck happened on the Exit 7 ramp in Bloomsbury Borough and ended when the Kia she was driving left the roadway and hit a tree.
Troopers were called to the scene at 7:32 a.m. Cassandra J. Battaglia suffered fatal injuries in the collision, according to New Jersey State Police. The crash remains under investigation, and authorities have not said what caused the vehicle to go off the road.
Troopers responded to the ramp near milepost 7.4 shortly after 7:30 a.m.
According to state police, the crash site was on I-78 West at milepost 7.4. The vehicle was on the Exit 7 ramp toward State Highway 173 when it left the left side of the roadway.
That movement took the Kia off the ramp and into a tree. Police said the impact caused the fatal injuries. No other vehicles were mentioned in the initial account, and troopers did not report any additional victims at the scene.
Investigators say the car was headed toward State Highway 173 when it went off the road
State police identified the driver as Cassandra J. Battaglia of Washington, New Jersey. She was 37. The preliminary investigation places her on the Exit 7 ramp as she headed toward State Highway 173.
The early findings suggest a single-vehicle crash, but police have not released a fuller reconstruction. They also have not said whether speed, road conditions, a medical issue, or some other factor played a role. For now, the sequence is limited to the vehicle leaving the ramp, crossing off the left side, and striking the tree.
Bloomsbury Borough crash adds to a dangerous stretch of I-78 in Hunterdon County
The collision happened in Bloomsbury Borough, a small Hunterdon County community along a busy interstate corridor. I-78 carries drivers through the area toward eastern Pennsylvania and the New Jersey suburbs, and the Exit 7 ramp connects traffic to State Highway 173.
Morning crashes on interstate ramps can quickly disrupt travel, but authorities have not released information about delays or closures tied to this incident. The public details remain focused on the fatal crash itself and the location where it occurred.
State Police have not said what started the crash
New Jersey State Police said only that the cause remains under investigation. No additional details were immediately released after the preliminary account. That leaves unanswered questions about why Battaglia’s Kia drifted off the road and struck the tree.
Police routinely gather evidence, review vehicle damage, and examine the roadway before drawing conclusions in a fatal crash. In this case, troopers have not announced any citations, mechanical issues, or contributing factors. The investigation is still open.
Battaglia’s death marks the only confirmed fatality in the incident
Authorities confirmed that Battaglia died from injuries suffered in the wreck. No other deaths were reported, and no other drivers or passengers were identified in the initial summary from state police.
The crash was reported early in the day, but the circumstances were brief and severe. A woman from Warren County was driving alone in a Kia, the vehicle left the ramp, and the impact with a tree proved fatal. State police continue to review how the chain of events unfolded.
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