One dead in 40-vehicle crash on the NJ Turnpike

All lanes have been reopened following  a massive crash on the NJ Turnpike in Cranbury involving more than 40 vehicles that left one person dead.

The lanes were reopened around 8:25 a.m.

According to the NJ State Police Facebook page, the crash in both the inner and outer lanes occurred at approximately 9:11 p.m. Monday night in the southbound lanes near milepost 71.3. 21 vehicles were involved in the inner lanes and 19 vehicles in the outer lanes.

The drivers of two tractor trailers slowed down in their respective lanes to avoid crashes ahead of them but lost control of their rigs on the icy roadway which led to a chain reaction crash that killed Darryl C. Williams, 52, of Bordentown. State Police say he was entrapped in his Toyota Corolla.

There were multiple injuries but none considered life threatening. The injured were taken to a number of hospitals including Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton; Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton; University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro; and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick according to ABC 7.

Police closed the southbound lanes as emergency crews worked to transport victims to local hospitals and investigate the incident. The car lanes reopened several hours later. New Jersey Fast Traffic's Bob Williams says the truck lanes remain closed for several more hours to make guard rail repairs.

The accident occurred  during a mix of rain and snow flurries and below-freezing temperatures in Cranbury. Meteorologist Dan Zarrow says temperature at the nearby West Windsor weather station held steady at 26 degrees - definitely cold enough to sustain ice. "It was not actively raining or snowing at the time and location of the crash, as shown by the lull on the radar image," says Zarrow. "There was probably some mist around.  And there were some bands of wintry mix (likely freezing rain) in the vicinity, which would have moved through Cranbury just before the time of the accident.  So the road was almost certainly slick."

Police say their investigation into the accidents continues.

Earlier Monday, the NJ State Police tweeted that troopers had responded to at least 78 crashes and 98 motorist aids since midnight. NJ has experienced cold and icy road conditions throughout Sunday night into Tuesday, making travel hazardous throughout parts of the Garden State.

MORE:COVERAGE:

• Multi-vehicle accident on New Jersey Turnpike kills 1, several injured / ABC 7
• 1 Dead in NJ Turnpike Pileup Involving At Least 20 Vehicles: State Police / NBC 4 New York