Fiery 3-vehicle accident kills 1, injures 2

On Behalf of | Dec 16, 2014 | Car Accidents

A three-vehicle accident in New Jersey left one man dead and sent two others to the hospital on Dec. 6. The accident occurred in the afternoon in the westbound lanes of Route 78 near the Garden State Parkway ramp in Union.

The deceased driver, a 24-year-old man, was exiting from the Garden State Parkway onto Route 78 in an Audi A4 just before the accident occurred. As he entered Route 78, he pulled into the path of a tanker truck carrying 9,000 gallons of fuel. The tanker truck struck his car, and as a result of the collision, both vehicles traveled into the left express lane and struck a tractor-trailer hauling a load of mulch. The two trucks continued moving forward until the tanker truck struck the concrete barrier and became lodged on top of it. The load of fuel caught fire, engulfing both trucks in flames.

The 24-year-old man was declared dead at the accident scene. The 35-year-old man driving the tanker truck managed to escape the burning cab of his vehicle through the windshield. He suffered critical injuries in the crash. The mulch truck’s driver, a 53-year-old man, suffered unspecified injuries. Both drivers were transported to hospitals. The 53-year-old man was treated and later released.

People who suffer critical injuries in car accidents may struggle with long recovering periods and short-term or permanent disabilities. Weeks or months of missed work combined with high medical bills may leave victims and their families in untenable financial situations. When a car accident results in the death of the driver whose actions caused the crash, victims may be able to sue his or her estate for compensation of medical bills, lost wages and other damages.

Source: NJ.com, “Chatham man killed in fiery Route 78 crash, trucker critically injured”, Noah Cohen and Jessica Remo, December 06, 2014