Forty vehicles collide in chain reaction crashes
By Charles W. Kim, Packet Media Group
CRANBURY — A Bordentown man is dead and dozens were injured following three multi-vehicle accidents on the icy New Jersey Turnpike Monday night, according to State Police.
Police said the crashes in both the inner and outer roadways took place at 9:11 p.m. in the southbound lanes of the Turnpike at milepost 71.4 and involved a total of 40 vehicles.
According to police, Darryl C. Williams, 52, of Bordentown was pronounced dead at the scene after being pinned in his Toyota Corolla during the chain-reaction collision.
The vehicles involved included four tractor-trailers, two box trucks, a fully loaded bus and “multiple cars.”
State Troopers were on the scene investigating the crash, which closed the southbound lanes of the major artery.
The accident took place as freezing rain and sleet fell across the region Monday night causing icy conditions that were a factor in the crash, police said Tuesday.
According to police, 13 vehicles were involved in the fatal crash on the outer roadway, and six other vehicles were involved in other collisions.
Police said that the two tractor-trailers lost control on the slick road and crashed, obstructing the lanes and causing the chain reaction.
Some 21 vehicles collided on the inner roadway as well police said
Multiple people reported injuries, but none were life threatening.
Police said the injured were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro and Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton.
All of the accidents are still under investigation, police said.
Cranbury Police put out an alert warning residents of icy conditions Monday night.
“Freezing rain has caused extremely hazardous travel conditions in and around our area,” Cranbury Police said in a Nixle alert to residents. “Avoid unnecessary travel at this time.”