Washington Twp. girl dies in traffic collision

Nicole "Nikki" Kellenyi, a Washington Township High School senior bound for Rider University, died in a car crash late Saturday.

Police said Kellenyi, 18, was in the backseat of a 1998 Saturn driven by Alexandria Giantonnio, also 18, that collided with a Ford pickup truck in Washington Township, Gloucester County.

Patrick Curiale, who had been friends with Kellenyi since seventh grade and who said he had planned to go with her to the senior prom, called her "the nicest girl I have ever had the pleasure of knowing."

"Everybody loved her and will miss her," he said in an e-mail. "She always worked hard and was determined to succeed. I'm going to miss her so much."

Police reported that Kellenyi and two friends, all from Sewell, were heading west on Altair Drive about 11:40 p.m. when their car entered the intersection at Pitman Downer Road to turn left.

The pickup, driven by Joann Finnegan, 48, of Sewell, was heading south on Pitman Downer Road, police said.

The two vehicles collided, sending both of them off the road.

Kellenyi had one sister and worked at Bruster's Real Ice Cream, according to Curiale.

All three occupants - including Taylor Petner, 18, who was ejected from the front passenger seat - were taken to Cooper Hospital Trauma Center.

Finnegan was taken to Kennedy Hospital Washington Township Division. Patrick Finnegan, a passenger in the pickup, was not injured, police said.

Authorities ask anyone who saw the accident to contact Cpl. Preston Forchion of the Traffic Safety Unit at 856-589-6694.

On Facebook, Kellenyi's friends were circulating a petition asking to have a traffic signal installed at the intersection where the accident happened.