State Police: Icy Conditions Believed To Be Factor In Massive NJ Turnpike Pileup
CRANBURY, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Icy conditions are believed to have played a role in a series of crashes involving 40 vehicles that left at least one person dead and dozens more injured on the New Jersey Turnpike, state police said Tuesday.
The accidents began just before 9:15 p.m. Monday during a mix of rain and snow flurries and below-freezing temperatures in Cranbury.
In total, there were 21 vehicles involved in multiple accidents on the inner roadway, which is reserved for cars, and 19 vehicles involved in crashes on the outer roadway, which is used by trucks and cars, state police said.
Trucker John Kozel had just pulled over at the nearby Molly Pitcher rest stop when the collisions began.
"It was piled up, all kinds of cars," he told CBS2's Janelle Burrell. "All the traffic was stopped and jammed up."
Two tractor-trailers obstructed the road when they lost control in the truck lanes as they attempted to avoid earlier crashes, triggering a chain-reaction crash involving 13 vehicles in which 52-year-old Daryl Williams, of Bordentown, became trapped in his car and died, state police said.
One turnpike employee said road crews had been out salting all day.
"It just all of a sudden froze up," he told 1010 WINS' John Montone.
Multiple people reported injuries, but none were considered life-threatening, state police said.
Truck driver Eric Frimpong, who drives this route often, believes the number of injured and killed could have been even higher.
"Especially if it's icy or snowy, then you're done," he said.
The back up Monday night caused delays for miles, leaving people stuck for hours. The southbound car lanes reopened to traffic around 3 a.m. Tuesday, but the truck lanes did not reopen until after 8 a.m.
The exact causes of the crashes are still under investigation.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)