Many accidents in New Jersey are unsurprising. When there is a report of a drunk driver with a blood alcohol content of two or three times the legal limit, no one is surprised to hear of a car accident or crash resulting from the driver’s attempt to operate a vehicle in that condition.
Such attempts are clearly negligence, and one wonders how they managed to start the car in that condition.
But rear-end accidents at intersections controlled by traffic lights are less understandable. The lights at many intersections are visible from some distance away, as is the line of traffic waiting. How can a driver plow into stopped traffic?
A truck accident in Green Brook involving a pickup truck and a tractor-trailer left one man dead and raised many of these questions.
The pickup was stopped at the intersection, waiting for a red light to turn when the semi-truck rear-ended the pickup, which caught on fire. A bystander attempted to rescue the driver of the pickup, but was forced back by the flames.
The time of the accident may provide a potential clue as to its true cause.
3:39 a.m.
Given the time of the crash, the question of truck driver fatigue seems likely. How long had the driver been driving at the time of the crash? When had he last slept? How many hours had he been driving in the last week?
Other potential distractions could include cellphone use, texting, or even alcohol and drug use.
Like the Tracy Morgan crash, which also involved a truck rear-ending another vehicle during the overnight hours, these questions could help determine why the truck driver slammed into stopped traffic.
NJ.com, “18-year-old driver killed in fiery truck crash on Route 22 in Green Brook,” Walter O’Brien, October 9, 2014
