TRENTON — The Attorney General’s Office is investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash that occurred Monday, May 27, 2024, in Franklin Borough, in Sussex County, New Jersey.

According to the preliminary investigation, an on-duty Franklin police officer, operating a department vehicle, was involved in a collision with a civilian vehicle near the intersection of State Route 23 and Walsh Road. The crash occurred at approximately 10:41 a.m. A female passenger in the civilian vehicle sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to Morristown Medical Center for treatment. The male driver of the civilian vehicle was treated and released. The involved officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The female civilian passenger was pronounced deceased at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 29, 2024. No identities are being released at this time.

A 2019 law, N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.

The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.

###