Trucker Using Cellphone Charged With Fatal Turnpike Crash

One man is dead and several other people are injured following an accident on the New Jersey turnpike. A Union City man is facing charges of vehicular homicide in the Bergen County crash.

According to a State Police representative, the fatal chain-reaction crash occurred on June 9 at approximately 5:00 p.m. when the 55-year-old man, driving a tractor-trailer, failed to accommodate slowing traffic on the turnpike and hit a vehicle in front of him. The impact killed the 43-year-old motorist in the vehicle, and he was pronounced dead at the accident site. Other motorists were injured in accident, but no information was available concerning their condition.

The 1996 Kenworth big rig driver was talking on a cellphone, authorities said, when the accident happened. The prosecutor in Bergen County said motorists in New Jersey should know that talking on a cellphone while driving is not tolerated in the state.

The tractor-trailer driver was taken into custody and charged with vehicular homicide in the second degree and hindering apprehension. He was being held in the Bergen County jail. He was also cited for using his cellphone improperly and reckless driving.

Truck drivers should adhere to strict regulations and follow the rules of the road. Using a cellphone while driving is against the law in some states, and driving while distracted by a phone conversation may cause death to another motorist. The family of a motorist killed by a negligent driver may suffer significant financial difficulty. An attorney may review the accident and help file a wrongful death suit against a liable party.

Source: Patch.com, “Tractor Trailer Driver Charged in Fatal Bergen Turnpike Crash“, Caitlin Brown, August 02, 2014