Howell Township police say the car and two other southbound vehicles were speeding on Route 9 when the accident occurred around 1:40 a.m. The drivers of the other two cars were not hurt and did not crash, but both were charged with drunken driving.
The driver of the car that crashed, 27-year-old Terence Butler, and 21-year-old Simone Kearney, both of Lakewood, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other passengers, 20-year-old Nyasia Neal of Toms River and 30-year-old Stacy Worthy of Lakewood, were taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where they were being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Authorities say Butler lost control of his vehicle after failing to maintain his lane. It didn't appear that the other two vehicles made contact with his car, but police say one of the other drivers involved apparently is related to Butler.
After Butler's vehicle went airborne off the highway, it sheared a telephone pole, scraped a one-story home and ended up between two nearby trees. The home's residents were inside at the time, but none were injured.
