Alexandria Township, NJ — July 15, 2025, Ruth Henshaw was killed due to a box truck accident at approximately 12:15 p.m. along County Road 519.

According to authorities, 86-year-old Ruth Henshaw was traveling in a northbound Volkswagen on Hope Bridgeville Road (County Road 519) when the accident took place.

Details surrounding the accident remains scarce. Preliminary reports state that, for as yet unknown reasons, a collision took place between the Volkswagen and a southbound Isuzu box truck. Henshaw reportedly suffered fatal injuries over the course of the accident and was declared deceased at the scene. Additional information pertaining to this incident is not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary

When a head-on collision happens on a two-lane road like County Road 519, the most urgent question is: Which vehicle crossed the center line—and why? That single fact determines not just who’s at fault, but whether the crash was avoidable in the first place.

At this point, it’s not clear whether the Volkswagen or the box truck left its lane. And without that information, there's no responsible way to assume who caused the collision. But in my experience, these situations often involve more than just a moment of poor steering. Distraction, fatigue, medical events, or even mechanical failure can all cause a vehicle to drift into oncoming traffic. So can trying to avoid an obstacle in the road or overcorrecting after a minor error.

On the commercial side of things, there are additional concerns. Was the box truck driver trained to handle narrow, rural roads like this one? Was the company monitoring driver hours to prevent fatigue? Was the vehicle properly maintained, including brakes and steering systems? These are questions that only come into focus through an investigation—not assumptions.

Evidence like black box data, dash cam footage (if available), and physical markings at the scene—such as skid marks or gouge patterns—can all help reconstruct the path of each vehicle. Without those, speculation does more harm than good.

No matter who crossed the line, what matters now is whether someone could have prevented it. The answer lies not in guesswork, but in hard data and careful analysis.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s still unknown which vehicle crossed the center line, a fact critical to determining fault.
• Head-on collisions often result from distraction, fatigue, mechanical failure, or poor road judgment.
• If the box truck was at fault, the driver’s training, hours of service, and vehicle condition may all come under scrutiny.
• Scene evidence and onboard data will be essential in reconstructing the events leading to the crash.
• Responsibility can’t be assigned without a full investigation that looks beyond surface-level details.