Former Miss New Jersey Cara McCollum, 24, Dead Following Car Accident - In Touch Weekly

This is heartbreaking.

Cara McCollum, 24 — former Miss New Jersey contestant and SNJ news anchor — died on Monday following a car accident that left her in critical condition last week. The news was shared via the “Prayers for Cara” Facebook page.

“Cara passed away this morning. Her family was with her in the operating room, and she died peacefully at 4:31 a.m.,” it reads.

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. Please accept our sincerest thanks for your heartfelt prayers. We all will miss her now that she’s gone.”

The blonde beauty was believed to be speeding in her Ford Mustang before her car spun off the road, crashed into several trees and landed at the bottom of an embankment. Cara was not believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident.

“Cara showed warmth to everyone she met. She was a part of our news team family and we are gratified to have worked with her — even for such a short time. We will miss her terribly,” her SNJ colleagues said in a statement.