Two people are dead after a car slammed into the rear of a tractor-trailer on westbound Interstate 78 in Hunterdon County, in a crash that shut down at least one lane during the early morning hours. Emergency crews were called to the scene near milepost 15.4 in Union Township shortly before 4 a.m.
According to RLS Media, New Jersey State Police are investigating the deadly wreck, which killed two people, though the outlet's scene update did not specify further details about how the fatalities occurred. Preliminary information cited by the outlet indicates a car crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer in the westbound lanes near milepost 15.4, prompting the emergency response.
New Jersey State Police recorded 574 fatal crashes and 606 deaths statewide in 2023. That year, tractor-trailers were involved in 22 fatal crashes that caused 23 deaths, the agency’s annual crash report shows.
Lane Closure Snarls Early Commute
Authorities shut down at least one right lane on I-78 in Union Township as crews worked the scene, though it remains unclear whether all lanes have since reopened. The closure occurred overnight.
The identities of the two victims have not yet been released, and the circumstances surrounding how the crash unfolded remain under wraps as investigators continue their work. RLS Media has described the case as a developing story, and further details are expected as New Jersey State Police continue looking into what led to the collision.
Same Stretch Of Highway Has Seen Trouble Before
The milepost 15.4 area of I-78 in Union Township has been the site of highway trouble in the past. A separate report from October 2023 described a multi-vehicle crash on the eastbound side of the highway at that same milepost that left a state trooper injured, though that earlier incident involved different circumstances and occurred on the opposite side of the roadway.
The October 2023 crash at milepost 15.4 unfolded differently: an eastbound Volvo tractor-trailer collided with an Isuzu box truck around 1:50 p.m. on Oct. 11, then struck a state police vehicle and triggered a four-vehicle chain reaction. One trooper suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, in the earlier crash.
No additional information about Sunday's fatal crash, including the identities of those killed or the specific sequence of events, has been made public as of this report. This remains an active investigation, and Hoodline will update this story as New Jersey State Police release further information.
