Route 78 fatal crash slows morning commute

GREENWICH  — A fatal crash caused big delays on Route 78 Tuesday morning.

State Police spokesman Trooper Gene Hong said their initial investigation showed a tractor trailer traveling westbound sideswiped a Lincoln which caused it to crash through the guardrail and cross the median of the highway around 6:10 a.m.  and hit a Chrysler mini van traveling on the eastbound side near #6 for Warren Glen.

The impact caused the mini van to overturn while the tractor trailer continued and hit a tractor trailer parked on the right shoulder.

The driver of the mini van, Eileen Olson, 48, of Phillipsburg was killed in the incident.

The incident created a multi-mile delay in both directions during the investigation with eastbound drivers taking Route 22 and Route 173 as alternative routes.

Hong said one vehicle rear-ended another on Route 195 westbound near exit 8 for Route 539 in Upper Freehold around 6:20 a.m. Four people were injured in the crash, according to Hong.

The crash was cleared within an hour but caused westbound traffic to back up for  nearly six miles from the Six Flags exit in Jackson to the accident.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ