Durham Avenue car crash leads to 3-year-old's death BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer METUCHEN - On the rainy morning of Oct. 24, a motor vehicle accident at what Patrolman David Liantonio called "an odd intersection" resulted in the death of a 3-year-old girl, police said. Until that Wednesday at 8:47 a.m., Liantonio, who has been with the police department for 13 years, said no one had been struck fatally at the intersection of Central and Durham avenues; however, there have been complaints by residents about the traffic in the area. "The complaints have not been so much at the intersection of Central and Durham avenues, but near the post office on Central Avenue, which is 250 feet away," he said. "It's just an odd intersection because it was not designed as a perfect four-way intersection." The motor vehicle accident involved a van owned by Plum-Rite, a company located in the Menlo Park Terrace section of Woodbridge, and two pedestrians, police said. According to authorities, the Plum-Rite van, which was driven by Scott Goley, 50, of Iselin, was traveling westbound on Durham Avenue and was attempting a left turn onto southbound Central Avenue when he struck Nicole Lewis, 27, and her 3- year-old daughter, Shaneil, who were walking in the crosswalk heading east toward Durham Avenue. The speed limit on Durham Avenue, which is a one-way street heading west bound, is 25 mph, and 35 mph on Central Avenue. The mother and daughter, who reside on John Street, were transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, police said. The 3-year-old passed away at approximately 11:30 a.m. as a result of the injuries sustained in the crash. Her mother was treated and released from the hospital. Goley was transported to JFK Medical Center in Edison for treatment and was released, police said. According to police, the roadways were closed for approximately two hours as a result of the crash and the subsequent investigation. The Metuchen Fire Department and two first aid squads from Edison responded to the scene. Police said the accident is still under investigation.