Motor vehicle accidents involving trucks and cars often result in serious and fatal injuries. There already have been several fatal truck-car accidents in New Jersey this month.
Related: New Jersey Car Truck Accidents – What Can You Recover?
NJ Officer Killed After Being Rear-Ended by a Tractor-Trailer in NJ
On July 17, 2014, a police officer sadly died after his patrol vehicle was hit by a tractor-trailer on Route 17 in Waldwick, New Jersey. The 32 year old police officer was operating a radar near Bergen Avenue in the early morning hours when an eighteen-wheel tractor-trailer violently rear-ended his unmarked patrol vehicle. The tractor-trailer driver was not hurt in the accident.
The police officer’s patrol vehicle was parked in the right shoulder. The tractor-trailer moved into the right shoulder and pushed the patrol vehicle through an intersection and into a retaining wall next to a residential neighborhood.
Fatal Truck Accident on New Jersey Turnpike
On July 10, 2014, a car accident on the New Jersey Turnpike left one person dead. The accident happened on the western spur of the Turnpike in Kearny.
A NJ Turnpike employee pulled his pickup truck over to the shoulder to pick up a piece of tire from the highway. The truck’s overhead amber lights were illuminated at the time of the crash. A box truck driven by a 20 year old man was traveling in the right lane and struck the Turnpike employee, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Like the officer above, he was also 32 years old.
Both of the above accidents are under investigation, and no charges have been filed at this time.
Sleep Deprived Drivers – Cause of Deadly Truck-Car Accidents in New Jersey
These recent fatal truck accidents come after another deadly truck-car accident on the New Jersey Turnpike that has been getting a lot of media attention. Just about a month ago, comedian Tracy Morgan’s bus was rear-ended by a Walmart tractor-trailer that left him in critical condition and killed another fellow comedian.
The police said that the Walmart driver was fatigued and sleep deprived; he was awake for more than 24 hours at the time of the crash. He failed to notice traffic slowing in front of him and slammed into the bus trying to swerve out of the way.
Though the above 3 accidents are under investigation, fatigue may be one of the reasons that caused the tractor-trailer driver to slam into the Waldwick police officer’s car from behind.
Victims of truck accidents on NJ Turnpike and roadways have legal rights and may recover financial compensation for their injuries. Liable parties include the drivers and their employers.
FREE CONSULTATIONS – Injured in a NJ Turnpike truck accident? Call to schedule a free case evaluation. 800-281-8695
Sources:
- www.nj.com (1 dead in car accident on Turnpike in Kearny: State Police)
- www.nj.com (Waldwick police officer killed in tractor trailer crash on Route 17)