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Crash sends vehicle into lake; 2 people killed

The two people killed in the crash were identified as a Burlington Township couple.

Two people were killed Saturday in a two-vehicle collision on the jug handle at Route 130 northbound and Bridgeboro Road in Willingboro, authorities said Sunday.

The victims were identified as Robert Stephens, 52, and his wife, Janet, 50, of Burlington Township. Their minivan was in the jug handle, waiting to cross over Route 130 onto Bridgeboro Road, when it was struck by another vehicle traveling northbound at an excessive rate of speed at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

That vehicle, a two-door sedan driven by Amish Patel, 29, of Delanco, entered the jug handle, went out of  control, and crashed into the minivan. The force of the impact propelled the minivan over the guardrail and down an embankment, where it became submerged in a body of water that is part of Olympia Lakes.

Multiple rescue squads and fire departments were involved in pulling Robert and Janet Stephens from the water. They were pronounced dead Saturday night at Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County in Willingboro.

The  Prosecutor's Office and the Willingboro Township Police Department are investigating, but no charges have been filed. They are awaiting the results of toxicology tests on Patel; he may be charged with traffic summonses in municipal court.

Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to call Burlington County Central Communications at 609-265-7113.