3 killed when SUV crosses lanes in New Jersey

OLD BRIDGE, New Jersey -- A crash left three people dead in northern New Jersey Tuesday afternoon.

The crash happened at Route 9 and Route 516 in Old Bridge around 1 p.m.

Police say a 45-year-old man from Howell Township, New Jersey, was driving his Ford Escape south on Route 9 when he crossed into the northbound lanes and struck a Honda Accord with four people inside.

PHOTOS: 3 dead in Old Bridge, N.J. crash

The man, along with the 37-year-old female driver of the Accord from Freehold, New Jersey and a 62-year-old male passenger were killed.

Two women, an 86- and 62-year-old, in the Accord were taken to the hospital. The 86-year-old is critical, the 62-year-old woman is in serious condition.

No names have been release yet, as the victims' families are in the process of being notified.

Police say it's not known why the driver of the SUV crossed into the opposite lanes.

The victims were rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

The road was shut down for more than 3 1/2 hours while police investigated the crash. It reopened just before 4:40 p.m.