Driver killed when tractor-trailer strikes tree in Hunterdon County, police say

A tractor-trailer driver died when his vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree in Hunterdon County Monday, according to authorities.

The fatal crash took place at about 12:40 p.m. on State Highway 31 in Lebanon Township, according to a statement by Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III, and Lebanon Township Police Chief Chris Mattson.

Authorities say the driver was traveling on the southbound side of the roadway when his tractor-trailer veered off the road, striking a tree. Crews from the Clinton Township Police Department and the Lebanon Township Fire Department responded to the area following the crash. Police say the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The name of the driver is being withheld pending notification of the family, according to police.

A small fuel spill resulting from the collision was cleaned up by the Hunterdon County Hazmat Team, the prosecutor said in a statement.

The cause of the crash is being investigated with the help of the New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Unit and Commercial Vehicle Inspection Unit. Police are asking anyone with information about the crash to contact the Lebanon Township Police Department at 908-638-8516, or the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s office at 908-788-1129.

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.