1 killed, 3 injured in chain-reaction crash involving multiple vehicles, N.J. police say

A man was killed and three people injured in a four-vehicle chain-reaction crash Friday afternoon on Route 38 in Hainesport, officials said.
The crash unfolded just before 2 p.m. on the eastbound side when a Chrysler 300 rear-ended a Toyota Prius at a red light before slamming into a concrete barrier, State Police said.
The impact of the crash pushed the Prius into the back of a Toyota RAV4 also stopped at the intersection of Hainesport-Mount Laurel Road (County Road 674) and Route 38, authorities said. The Prius then veered off the road to the right and hit a sign. After being hit by the Prius, the RAV4 crashed into a Honda Pilot before also striking the center concrete barrier.
The 49-year-old Brooklyn, New York, man driving the Prius — Zaza Ghavtadze — was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, a 59-year-old Lumberton man, was hospitalized with serious injuries, according to State Police.
Meanwhile, the Chrysler driver and a passenger in the RAV4 suffered injuries not considered to be life-threatening.
The crash remains under investigation.
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at [email protected].