NEWS

Morris Twp. woman dies after Denville crash

Michael Izzo
@MIzzoDR

A Morris Township woman died 10 days after a single-car crash on Route 53 in Denville due to injuries sustained during the accident, according to an obituary that ran in the Daily Record and a report from the Denville Police Department.

At about 11:19 a.m. on June 21, Teresa Clark, 87, of Morris Township, was driving her 2002 Buick LaSabre on Route 53 at the Bloomfield Avenue intersection near the Valley National Bank, Denville Chief Christopher Wagner said.

The intersection had a red light, and Clark attempted to press the brake, but accidentally hit the gas pedal instead. She then drove off the road and into the bushes in front of the bank, Wagner said.

Clark told police at the time that she mistakenly pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake while approaching the intersection, Wagner said.

The Buick and front yard of the bank suffered minor damage. The airbag deployed in the car because the undercarriage struck the curb while driving off the road, Wagner said.

Clark was conscious, alert and talking with police following the accident, Wagner said.

Clark complained of pain but no specific injuries and was taken to Morristown Medical Center as a precaution, Wagner said.

The single-vehicle accident is not listed as a fatal, and Denville Police are not actively investigating the crash, Wagner said.

Clark died peacefully with family by her side last Thursday due to complications from injuries sustained in the accident, according to her obituary.

A spokesperson for Atlantic Health confirmed Clark died at Morristown Medical Center but did not disclose additional details.

Clark was a Morris Township resident for 60 years, born in Port Morris, and a Roxbury High School graduate. She was a registered nurse at St. Clare’s Hospital, the now-closed All Saints Hospital in Morristown, and was an occupational health nurse at Warner Lambert in Morris Plains.

A member of St. Virgil’s Parish in Morris Plains for more than 60 years, a funeral mass will be held for Clark at the church at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Her entombment will follow at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made in Clark’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com