FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP — Democratic candidate for governor Barbara Buono suffered minor cuts to her face from an accident involving the vehicle she was riding in, officials said.

The accident happened about 8 p.m. Monday in Franklin Township, Somerset County, on Easton Avenue in the area of Cedar Grove Lane, police said.

Buono, who announced her intention to run as the Democratic candidate for governor in the 2013 race against Gov. Chris Christie, was riding in the back seat of the vehicle when the accident happened, said township police spokesman Sgt. Philip Rizzo.

The 59-year-old state senator represents the 18th district in Middlesex County. She was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for treatment, he said.

The exact circumstances of the accident remain under investigation, he said, adding that more information would be released today.

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