A police car struck and killed two people on the New Jersey Turnpike after the pair left a disabled vehicle.

The accident happened early Wednesday in the northbound lanes of the eastern spur in Secaucus, approaching the Vince Lombardi service area.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority says the victims had walked away from a disabled vehicle.

State police say the police vehicle was driven by an officer with the Washington Township Police Department in Bergen County. The officer was treated for minor injuries.

The preliminary investigation indicates the pedestrians were in the left lane when they were hit.

No names have been released. The accident is under investigation.

THE FOLLOWING IS AN OFFICIAL POLICE STATEMENT:

North Bergen, N.J. – The New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Unit, Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and personnel from Newark Station, are investigating a crash involving a Washington Township, Bergen County, police car that struck two pedestrians on the New Jersey Turnpike earlier today at approximately 1:06 a.m.

The preliminary investigation revealed that Jason Champion, 41, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Nuwnah Laroche, 34, of East Elmhurst, were traveling in a 2001 Cadillac Escalade when it became disabled on the southbound side of the roadway. Sometime later, both individuals were pedestrians in left, northbound lane in the area of milepost 115, when they were struck by a Washington Township Police car driven by 46-year-old Officer Arsenio Pecora.

According to the Washington Township Police Department, Officer Pecora was returning from training at Fort Dix at the time of the accident. The victims were pronounced deceased on scene at 4:33 a.m. via telemetry. The cause and circumstances of the crash are currently under investigation.

(AP)