Newark I-78 Crash Kills One, Leaves Three Critical as Car Pinned Under Truck

A car became pinned directly underneath a tractor-trailer hauling scrap tires during a chaotic multi-vehicle crash on eastbound Interstate 78 near Exit 56 in Newark Tuesday morning, killing one person at the scene and leaving three others in critical condition. Emergency crews responded shortly before 9:30 a.m. to what quickly became a major trauma incident, with another vehicle overturning in the same wreck.

The crash forced New Jersey Department of Transportation officials to shut down all eastbound local lanes of I-78 near Exit 56 for Elizabeth Avenue; only one of two eastbound express lanes was closed, according to Daily Voice, which first reported the closures as a developing story. Traffic cameras appeared to show a heavy police response in the area as first responders worked to free trapped occupants, and motorists were told to expect delays while crews cleared the wreckage.

Firefighters performed complex extrications to free people trapped in the mangled vehicles, according to RLS Media, which reported that multiple Advanced EMS and emergency units responded. At least one surviving victim suffered traumatic arrest during transport to a regional trauma center, the outlet reported. New Jersey State Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the wreck, and officials had not officially released the identity of the deceased person or additional information about injured victims.

Lane Closures Ripple Across the Morning Commute

The disruption unfolded in stages. The initial eastbound local lane shutdown began at 9:39 a.m., followed by an express lane restriction at 9:46 a.m., the same outlet's reporting shows, with motorists warned to expect delays. A separate crash also occurred in the eastbound express lanes at Exit 56, according to the Daily Voice report, and NJDOT confirmed that one of two express lanes was closed as a result.

The location is a particularly unforgiving spot for a highway emergency. The crash site near Exit 56 sits on a dual-carriageway stretch of I-78 where express and local lanes divide close to Newark Liberty International Airport and U.S. Route 1/9. The site is also near surrounding freight hubs.

Crash Details Near Exit 56

Tuesday's crash occurred near Exit 56 on I-78 in Newark. The available reports did not provide additional details about other incidents near the crash site.

A separate June collision was not detailed in the available reports. And in April, a fatal crash claimed the lives of two men when an Isuzu box truck struck a concrete barrier near milepost 56.6, overturned, and fell off the highway overpass, according to a report from New Jersey Law. The available reports did not include statewide crash statistics.

It remains unclear whether mechanical failure, speed, or another factor contributed to Tuesday's collision, and state police have not said when the eastbound local and express lanes are expected to fully reopen. Hoodline will update this story as New Jersey State Police release further information about the investigation and the condition of the surviving victims.