Elderly mays landing man killed after suv crashes into trees on harding highway
Yellow law enforcement tape isolating crime scene. Blurred view of city, toned in red and blue police car lights

Elderly Mays Landing man killed after SUV crashes into trees on Harding Highway

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1 min read
January 6, 2026

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. – An 83-year-old Mays Landing man was killed Monday morning when his vehicle veered off Harding Highway and struck several trees, according to the Township of Hamilton Police Department.

Police said the crash occurred at approximately 11:40 a.m. near Nineteenth Street when a 2020 Cadillac Escalade driven by Leonard Spaeth Jr. left the westbound lane of U.S. Route 40 and ran off the roadway. Responding officers found the vehicle heavily damaged at the scene.

Spaeth was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Traffic in the area was diverted for about two hours as investigators and emergency crews worked at the crash site.

Assisting at the scene were the Township of Hamilton Rescue Squad, AtlantiCare Paramedics, the Mays Landing and Laureldale Fire Departments, and the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Hamilton Township Police Traffic Unit. Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact Officer McKnight at 609-625-2700.

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