Dump truck overturns on NJ Turnpike, driver killed

🚨 An overturned dump truck spilled a load of dirt in the outer lanes of the NJ Turnpike

🚨 Traffic was backed up for over five miles between Exit 7A (I-195) and 7 (Route 206)

🚨 A second crash in the same area happened several hours later

CHESTERFIELD — The driver of a dump truck was killed Wednesday morning when something happened to one of his tires on the New Jersey Turnpike.

The dump truck was headed south in the outer lanes near Exit 7 (Route 206) in Chesterfield around 10:50 a.m. when the truck overturned, went down an embankment and through a guard rail, State Police Sgt. Philip Curry said. Part of its load of dirt was dumped in the right lane.

A picture posted by MidJersey.news shows part of the front passenger side tire coming off the wheel.

Driver Nelson Gonzalez, 45, of Manville died in the crash.

The crash was the third fatality on the New Jersey Turnpike in Mercer County this year and the 15th for the entire roadway.

A second crash

The right lane was blocked for nearly seven hours into the afternoon drive for clean-up and an investigation, causing five-mile delays back to Exit 7A.

Adding to the traffic was a second crash around 4 p.m. in the same area in both the inner and outer lanes involving a Jeep and a work van that overturned.

Curry said there were minor injuries in the crash.

Both crashes were cleared by 5:30 p.m. although delays remained.

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