Congested highways in New Jersey can become cram packed with vehicles stopped bumper to bumper and increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents. Truck accidents that occur in this heavy traffic can sometimes result in serious injury and tragic fatalities. A morning accident recently involving a dump truck took the lives of several people and injured others.
The accident occurred when a large dump truck failed to slow and come to a stop as it approached congestion on a local highway. The truck smashed into the back of a car carrying three occupants and may have hit an additional five cars as it barreled through the traffic jam. The car immediately burst into flames as a result of the impact, with its occupants inside.
The driver and two passengers of the smaller car were tragically burned to death from the fire. Authorities say the intense blaze engulfed the car completely, making it impossible to remove the victims. The truck driver, another adult and two children from other vehicles hit in the crash were transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment and observation.
Police will perform a safety inspection on the dump truck and obtain test results for potential intoxication from the truck driver. Should the investigation find evidence that the truck or truck driver contributed to the cause of the fatal crash, the families of the deceased may choose to seek justice. New Jersey truck accidents that inflict damage to multiple people may influence a victim’s decision to request restitution from the party or parties deemed responsible for the tragedy.
Source: northjersey.com, “State Police: 3 dead in Rte. 280 ‘fireball’ crash of car and a truck driven by North Bergen man”, Jim Norman, Aug. 27, 2014
