Cara McCollum, a former Miss New Jersey pageant winner and local TV news anchor, died early Monday following injuries sustained in a car accident last week.
The 24-year-old was critically injured after her Ford Mustang ran off a New Jersey highway on Feb. 15. She was not wearing a seat belt at the time, state police said.
McCollum, a Princeton graduate, won the Miss New Jersey pageant in 2013 and was an anchor on SNJ Today.
She was mourned in a Facebook post by her boyfriend, Keith Jones, who shared that McCollum "made the selfless decision to donate her organs."
"At this very moment, she is saving lives," wrote Jones, a Philadelphia news anchor.
"Words fall short of describing the pain, but I'm eternally grateful and blessed for the time I spent with Cara. Her enormous heart enriched my life and changed me forever," he wrote.
Jones also shared a link to a video showing McCollum singing "When I'm Gone" while tapping on a plastic cup, an act performed by actress Anna Kendrick in “Pitch Perfect.”
McCollum's co-workers at SNJ Today also expressed their sadness while announcing the tragic news to viewers on their Facebook page.
"Whether you had the privilege of knowing her or if you enjoyed her newscasts during her all too brief time with us, you know that her smile, determination and sincerity made her a beloved individual," they wrote.
"Cara showed warmth to everyone she met," the post continued. "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."
Also on HuffPost: