TRENTON, N.J. (July 30) - A young woman who died in a fiery auto crash on the New Jersey Turnpike last weekend has been identified as Heather Bratton, a fashion model from Florida that many predicted was on the cusp of fame.


New Jersey State Police confirmed Sunday that 19-year-old Bratton was the passenger who died at the scene of a three-car collision at about 5 a.m. July 22. A statement on the Web site of her booking agency, Women Management, said she was en route to a flight at Newark International Airport.


Bratton, of Wesley Chapel, Fla., was photographed by noted fashion photographer Steven Meisel for a recent Italian Vogue cover. A dark-eyed brunette whose prominent cheekbones drew comparisons to supermodel Kate Moss, Bratton was poised for greater success, several industry observers had theorized in recent months.


"Heather was a sweet, gentle and thoughtful girl who achieved a remarkable level of success during her first year modeling, which is a credit to her distinct beauty and spirit," according to a Women Management statement. "We were fortunate to work with her."


A phone call to her family's home Sunday morning was not immediately returned. Her stepfather, Tim Kerrigan, told The New York Post for Sunday's editions that Bratton had flown to New York for a July 20 magazine photo shoot.


Stormy weather prevented her return flight the following night. She was en route to the airport in a car-service sedan Saturday morning when the vehicle broke down in the center lane of the turnpike, and was rear-ended by a sport utility vehicle.


State Police last week said the Crown Victoria, in which Bratton was a passenger, was struck by a Toyota RAV4 at southbound Exit 14. It plowed into a Toyota Sienna stopped in front of it that authorities believe had stopped to render aid. The RAV4 and the sedan both caught on fire. Bratton was trapped inside and pronounced dead at the scene.


The driver of the Crown Victoria, 30-year-old Selim Koskar, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was hospitalized with multiple burns on his entire body. He was still in intensive care Sunday at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.


Ramon Sanchez, 23, of Jersey City, suffered broken bones while Bronx, N.Y.-resident Yoa Murry, 44, the Sienna's drive, suffered burns to his leg.


The accident remained under investigation Sunday.


Bratton was born in West Virginia and raised near Tampa, Fla., the Post reported. This summer she appeared on catwalks in Milan and Paris, modeling for Prada, Gucci, Burberry and Chanel.


She was to be buried in South Carolina, the Post reported.

wow, that's really sad and unfortunate...young people often have a misconception of immortality and things like this open their eyes and remind them that just because they're 20 something or less, they aren't invincible.

Unfortunate. Very unfortunate. RIP.

I don't know what to say.

Be careful out there.

JAY carreon
PHOTOGRAPHER

good morning....my heart pours out to her family.

you can leave messages on here website.. she was soo pretty.




it's weird cuz i always think models of her level are so old..but she was a kid.

Isn't that sad ?

She was in vogue italia every month this year, but april and she had TWO covers of vogue italia in the first 6 months of this year. wow.

And her life cut short.. as she was blowing up!

Poor family...

And the sad thing is that this happens every hour of every day.. families torn appart... over unexpected and way too early deaths...

Thank you so much, Electra T for posting this story. I was in my local coffee shop when I happened to notice the newspaper headlines. I had heard of Heather previously, had seen her pics & thought, "Now there's a rising star!" When I saw the newspaper I was blown away. Kinda puts everything in the rest of our lives into perspective, doesn't it? ~R.I.P. Heather.

Oh my gosh this is heart wrenching.. RIP Heather..

tragic .... i wonder whose gonna make the bio film.

I have never heard of her and don't know her but that doesn't matter - I feel saddened by the news - I hope like my good friend Meiling - that those who remain behind receive the love and comfort that enables them to cope with their loss.  I don't even want to see if she has a profile or and OMP  or Mayhem # because if I see her I know I will cry - I am just emotional that way.  Another model died here in TX over the weekend - if I remember the news article properly - it was someone who used to date / was married to the drummer from "The Who" - I think she was English.

Gah nyte folks

Thanks for the post Electra.

Deepest sympathies go out to her family and friends.