100 days after bad Turnpike accident, missing cat found

One of two cats that ran off after an accident involving its owners on the New Jersey Turnpike 100 days ago has been found.

Pancho, who belongs to Florida couple Carlos Seijo and Olga Garcia, was found more than three months after a serious accident that occurred while the two were traveling south on the Turnpike at milepost 8.4 in Gloucester County. The crash forced their SUV off the road,  flipping it onto its side. Seijo, the driver, was ejected from the vehicle.

Their luggage was spread out  — and included a cat carrier that opened up on impact.

From their hospital beds the couple created a Facebook page, Pancho and Puky are lost, and began enlisting volunteers to hand out flyers and look around the area for the pair in the days after the accident. Seijo said Garcia were anxious to find the pair.

"They are my babies, Seijo posted.

According to the Facebook page, Pancho was found 10 miles from the accident scene with a colony of cats being fed by a woman who went to a veterinary office that displayed the missing poster for Panco and Puky.

"She recognized the characteristic markings on Pancho's body and the black dot on his right nostril and his sweet, sweet expression as one of the kitties she had seen as a newcomer," wrote Seijo. "She called me and said, "I'm almost certain I have your cat." Then she texted me pictures and I nearly fell off my seat."

The couple worked with Bonnie Westbrook, a Hunterdon County resident who picked up Pancho and took him to her own vet for an examination.

"For a kitty who has been on his own for nearly 3.5 mo., he's in great shape," said Westbrook, who is scheduled to fly with Pancho back to Florida Wednesday for a reunion with Garcia and Saijo.

Puky is still missing, however.

"We continue our search for Puky. We know he is out there. With your help and prayers we can have our second miracle!!" reads a post on the Facebook page.

He is described as an 2-year-old orange tabby with touches of white around the mouth and chest with solid peach colored paws. Anyone with information should call 732-735-8345.