The Monroe Township Police Department (Gloucester County, NJ) in their Media Release on Jan. 11. announced that a woman driver, Lashaya Goldsmith, 30, from Camden, NJ is facing death charges for killing a trucker. The Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash happened on November 10, 2022, at 12:35 pm on the 900 block of East Malaga Road near Morgan Road.
According to the police report, Goldsmith was driving a 2018 Hyundai Elantra westbound. She drifted into the east lane and crashed into a 1995 Mack truck with a tractor-trailer, driven by Richard Lupton, 62 of Newport, Cumberland County around 919 East Malaga Road. Lupton’s truck continued its movement to the east, crossing to the other lane and striking the driver’s side of a 2017 Nissan Rogue. The Nissan was going west. The truck diverted off the road and stopped by hitting a tree.
Lupton was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 1:50 pm. His death is a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
Goldsmith was airlifted to Cooper Trauma hospital. She suffered serious injuries in the lower part of her body in the collision.
The driver of the third vehicle, a Nissan Rogue, Anastasia Keermann, 27, of Millville, was taken to Jefferson Hospital in Washington Township where doctors evaluated her condition. It was determined that Keermann suffered only minor injuries in this collision.
Police investigators determined that the probable cause of this traffic accident was the illegal use of a cell phone while driving. Based on that, they obtained a search warrant that allowed them to access Goldsmith’s phone. An examination of the cellphone revealed that Lashaya Goldsmith was using a hand-held cell phone and taking pictures when her car veered off the road and struck a truck.
At this point, all accusations are allegations. A court process in which the driver is facing murder charges for killing a trucker will come up with a verdict for this crime.