1 dead after serious crash shuts down Route 73 in Marlton, New Jersey

Route 73 is back open in Marlton, New Jersey, after a fatal crash closed the road for more than eight hours Friday.

The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General said it started when an Evesham Township police officer tried to pull over a driver on Route 73 near Greentree Road shortly after 4:30 a.m.

The driver crashed into another vehicle at Lincoln Road and was killed, the OAG said. The driver has not been identified.

The OAG is handling the investigation, which is required by law when someone dies during an encounter with a police officer.    

An Evesham police officer also received medical treatment for non-life-threatening injuries, Police Chief Thomas Reinholt said in a news release. The OAG said the police vehicle was not involved in the crash.

Around 7 a.m., Chopper 3 was live over Route 73 near Lincoln Drive, where no traffic was getting by as police responded to a crash. A vehicle could be seen with heavy damage on the driver's side.

Tyrone Perkins said he was on his way to the gym and saw the whole thing go down.

Perkins said the Mustang blew past him on Route 73 at a high rate of speed — he estimated it was over 100 mph. He saw a police officer turn on his lights and start to pursue the driver. Shortly after, the crash happened.

"It's kind of a hill, and there was a tractor-trailer in the right lane," Perkins said. "And the Mustang, I guess, could not slow down and ran directly into the back of the tractor-trailer. So once I pulled over, I was maybe about 10 feet from the front of the vehicle, looked inside. Saw things were not looking good and then retreated once I smelled fuel."

The investigation remains active and ongoing.