Crash on Turnpike Kills 1, Injures 1

One person died after an accident on the New Jersey Turnpike on Nov. 26 that occurred when a dump truck hit a vehicle that was stopped on the shoulder. The crash reportedly happened at about 6:30 p.m.; the truck was said to have struck the back of a southbound 2010 Ford Crown Victoria.

After the impact of the crash, the Ford was engulfed in flames while two people were in the vehicle. The driver escaped, but the police reported that a passenger in the back seat was trapped. That individual was pronounced dead at about 7:31 p.m. The driver of the Ford suffered minor injuries and was taken to Trinitas Regional Medical Center and released after receiving medical treatment.

The person driving the small dump truck was unharmed, and the authorities think no charges will be pressed against this driver. However, the accident investigation is ongoing.

Smaller vehicles may be at the mercy of dump trucks or 18 wheelers when a crash occurs, and those in a passenger vehicle can suffer serious injuries or be killed in a truck accident. When someone is killed due to a trucking wreck, a family can file a claim in civil court when the accident was caused by negligence. This may allow a victim’s loved ones to seek compensation for financial and emotional losses related to the accident.

While it is unclear why the dump truck moved onto the shoulder in this instance, the driver may be liable if a reasonable amount of caution was not used when the accident occurred. This may be the case if the driver veered off course because he or she was not watching the road due to exhaustion or texting and driving.

Source: NJ.com, “Passenger who died in Turnpike crash was trapped in car when fire broke out, police say“, Katie Lannan, November 26, 2014