SOUTH JERSEY

Friends: Former Miss NJ was 'beloved individual'

Jim Walsh
@jimwalsh_cp
Former Miss New Jersey Cara McCollum waves to the crowd at Citizens Bank Park in 2013.

CAMDEN - A TV news anchor and former Miss New Jersey died Monday from injuries suffered in a one-car crash a week earlier.

Cara McCollum's family was at her side when the 24-year-old died around 4:30 a.m. in an operating room at Cooper University Hospital, Camden, according to a Facebook post. Her organs were donated.

Newsmakers and TV viewers alike expressed grief over the loss of the SNJ Today personality. McCollum was a reporter and anchor for the Millville-based company, which broadcasts in South Jersey.

Gov. Chris Christie tweeted his condolences, as did current Miss New Jersey Lindsey Giannini of Hammonton.

"My heart breaks," Giannini said. "Rest easy, sweet girl."

The Margate woman was driving alone when her 2014 Mustang convertible left northbound Route 55 in Pittsgrove and struck several trees around 6:50 p.m. on Feb. 15. The driver's side front airbag deployed, but McCollum was not wearing a seatbelt, according to New Jersey State Police.

State Police also said McCollum appeared to be driving too fast for conditions on the wet road. Drugs and alcohol were not believed to be a factor in the accident.

Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney, D-Gloucester, praised the newscaster as "an accomplished woman who succeeded in so many ways in her young life."

Miss New Jersey 2013, Cara McCollum, signs pictures at a book fair in South Jersey in 2014.

McCollum, an Arkansas native, was a graduate of Princeton University. She won the Miss New Jersey title and competed in the Miss America pageant in 2013.

The Miss New Jersey organization said McCollum spent her year as the titleholder "visiting with children throughout the state, reading books to them and speaking about the importance of literacy, her platform issue at Miss America and one she had continued to promote."

"We remember Cara most for her sense of humor and love of Taco Bell," the organization said in a statement.

In a statement, SNJ Today described McCollum as "a beloved individual" and said she "showed warmth to everyone she met."

It expressed condolences to McCollum's family members and to her boyfriend Keith Jones, a TV anchor for Philadelphia's NBC station.

Jones thanked the public for its prayers in a Facebook post. "Words fall short of describing the pain, but I’m eternally grateful and blessed for the time I spent with Cara," he said.

On one of her last assignments, McCollum reported on Valentine’s Day preparations at Triple Oaks Nursery and Herb Garden in Franklinville.

"We spent an hour with her and felt like we really knew this girl," said Lorraine Kiefer, the nursery's owner. "I grabbed a bunch of flowers when she was leaving and gave them to her. She was just such a warm and loving person."

TV personality critically injured in Route 55 crash

“She was not just a pretty face,” added Lorraine's son Joe Kiefer, who also was interviewed by McCollum. "She was such a real person. … And it was disarming how smart she was.”

"She left with a promise that she’d be back,” said Lorraine Kiefer, her voice breaking. “It’s so tragic.”

A Facebook page set up after the crash, "Prayers for Cara," was updated with a message that noted McCollum's organs had been donated.

"At this very moment, she is saving lives," it noted. "We’ve prayed constantly for a miracle, and we believe God has answered our prayers. Although it’s not the miracle that we first envisioned, it’s a miracle nonetheless."

Jim Walsh; (856) 486-2646; jwalsh@gannettnj.com