A rollover crash on the Garden State Parkway in Hillside left a vehicle mangled and multiple people in need of medical attention early Friday morning, prompting officials to declare a mass casualty incident near Exit 142. The crash happened around 3 a.m., setting off a scramble among local fire and rescue crews before sunrise.
What Happened Near Exit 142
According to Daily Voice, the mass casualty incident was declared after the rollover crash near Exit 142 left multiple people requiring medical attention, per Hillside FMBA Local 35. Hillside Fire Department Engine 1 and rescue crews responded to the scene and worked alongside other emergency personnel to assist those involved, the union said. Photos shared by the firefighters showed a heavily mangled vehicle following the crash.
The number of people injured and the extent of their injuries were not immediately clear at the time of reporting. The same outlet noted it had reached out to New Jersey State Police for additional details on the incident.
A Stretch of Highway With a Troubled Record
This isn't the first time a Parkway crash near Hillside has drawn a heavy emergency response. A crash in the southbound lanes near Exit 142A killed a motorcyclist around 3:52 a.m. on a Saturday morning, according to RLS Media. Earlier this year, five people were injured in a rollover crash on the Parkway in Clark, with the driver and one passenger suffering serious injuries while three other passengers sustained moderate injuries, the same outlet's report on that incident noted.
Other stretches of the highway have seen similar early-morning wrecks. New Jersey State Police said two people sustained minor injuries after a car overturned in a Garden State Parkway crash in Wall Township, according to Patch. None of those incidents establish a cause for Friday's crash in Hillside, but they underscore how often the Parkway's overnight hours have turned dangerous for drivers in the region.
As of now, the scope of injuries from Friday's crash remains unknown, and no additional details have been released about what led to the rollover. Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
