Eight people in total were injured.
SOUTH BRUNSWICK -- Two Ocean County youths are hospitalized with "extremely critical" injuries suffered in a New Year's Day car crash on Route 1.
One other person is in critical but stable condition, and five others were hospitalized in the crash that left two cars in a mangled wreck in the early hours of 2016.
Capt. James Ryan of the South Brunswick Police Department said that the police are still investigating the circumstances of the crash, which involved a Nissan Sentra and a minivan and occurred at around 5:16 a.m.
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Police said the minivan was headed north on Route 1 as the Sentra was crossing the Route 1 north lanes onto Deans Lane when the collision occurred. Police said the driver of the Sentra may have been distracted by a cellphone, and ran the red light at the jughandle. There are no indications that alcohol was involved in the crash, but police are continuing to investigate, Ryan said.
The ages of those in the Sentra ranged from 12 to 27. The two most critically injured occupants were 12 and 15 years old, and the driver was the eldest.
First-responders from the Monmouth Junction Fire Department had to use the jaws of life to free the five occupants of the Sentra.
The two front passengers of the minivan were 59-year-old residents of North Brunswick. Another family member was also in the van.
Police have not released the names of any of those injured. Seven were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and one to St. Peter's Hospital, both in New Brunswick.
The roadway was closed for about six hours as police investigated the crash.
Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.