Newark, NJ (April 28, 2026) – An 81-year-old Newark woman was killed Monday, April 27, after two vehicles crashed through the front wall of a laundromat where she was sitting.
The crash happened at approximately 2:30 p.m. at the Ivy Hill Laundromat on Irvington Avenue in Newark. A pickup truck struck a parked car outside the business. The force of the impact sent both vehicles through the front of the building.
Ruth Benjamin, 81, of Newark, was seated at a table near the front of the laundromat when she was struck. She was pronounced dead at the scene. No additional details about other occupants or potential injuries to others inside the building were available at the time of this report.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash, and more details will be released as soon as they become available. Our sincere condolences go out to Ruth Benjamin’s family and all those who loved her.
When Vehicles Enter Buildings: What This Type of Crash Means for Bystanders in New Jersey
Storefront crashes — where a vehicle enters a business — occur more often than many people realize, and they pose a serious risk to anyone inside. People sitting near the front of a building have very little warning and no protection when a vehicle breaks through. Laundromats, restaurants, and other ground-floor businesses along busy urban streets in New Jersey face this kind of exposure regularly.
These crashes often involve a sudden loss of vehicle control, a medical event behind the wheel, or an impact that pushes a second vehicle into a building. The speed and weight involved can cause catastrophic harm even at relatively low driving speeds. Bystanders inside a structure have no way to anticipate or avoid the impact, which is what makes these incidents so deadly.
