Hopatcong senior killed in crash

By Nathan Mayberg
MOUNT OLIVE — A 17-year-old Hopatcong High School senior was killed on Thursday night after the vehicle he was a passenger in crashed at the Route 46 intersection in Mount Olive.

Gregory Pellinger died of "significant injuries" after being transported to the Hackettstown Medical Center, according to Mount Olive police.

Pellinger was the passenger in a 2009 Mercury Mariner that was being driven by William Staszewski, 28, of Budd Lake.

Staszewski's vehicle was traveling eastbound on Route 46 in the left lane when the vehicle was struck by a 2002 Dodge Neon driven by Rebecca Falconer, 17, of Hopatcong.

Falconer was attempting to make a left turn onto Old Wolfe Road when her vehicle turned in front of Staszewski's right of way and struck the Mercury Mariner, according to a press release from the Mount Olive Police Department.

Both Falconer and Staszewski were treated for non-life threatening injuries at Hackettstown Medical Center.

Drug and alcohol were ruled out as factors.

No charges have been filed, though the investigation is ongoing.

In a released statement, Mount Olive Police Chief Mark Spitzer stated "the intersection of Route 46 and Old Wolfe Road has been the sight of several other injurious crashes and another fatal accident in the not too distant past. It is an interesection we will continue to seek to make better through engineering with our partners at the New Jersey Department of Transportation."

Responding to the scene were the Mount Olive Police Department, Morris County Sheriff's Office, Budd Lake Fire Department, Budd Lake First Aid Squad and New Jersey Department of Transportation.

"On behalf of the police department, we offer our sincerest condolences to Gregory's family and friends," stated Spitzer.