Two people were killed Friday after the car they were driving plunged off the Garden State Parkway in Clark into the Rahway River below.

New Jersey state police say that the vehicle was headed northbound near Exit 136 just before 10:30 a.m. when the crash happened. Officials say that when police arrived on the scene, they saw the overturned vehicle in the water. Rescuers rushed to pull the victims out, but officials say that they both died.

Police have identified the victims as 49-year-old Nagally Taulemont of Rahway and passenger France Novemere, 71.

Nearby residents tell News 12 New Jersey that they are saddened by the incident, but are not surprised. 

“We’ve had a lot of accidents in the past several months,” says Janice Guglielmi. “This is going on all the time.”

Portions of the Parkway were closed for a time, causing serious traffic delays in the area.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.