Lincoln Tunnel traffic 5/6/22: Car crash fire closes Route 3

A crash and car fire on westbound Route 3 backed traffic up to the Lincoln Tunnel on Friday morning.

Police responded around 4 a.m. to a crash just past the ramp for Route 120 that involved a car and a flatbed truck, according to East Rutherford police.

Deputy Chief Phillip Taormina told New Jersey 101.5 a vehicle driven by a 27-year-old Garfield woman hit the back of a low flatbed truck carrying a 2017 Jeep. The impact caused the Jeep to fall onto the woman's vehicle causing it to catch fire.

Officers from East Rutherford and Secaucus immediately tried to get the woman out of her vehicle but the intense flames and heat made it impossible, according to Taormina. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

All westbound lanes of Route 3 were closed for approximately 5 hours causing delays of over 6 miles through the Lincoln Tunnel back into Manhattan.

Delays on Route 3 westbound 5/6/22 (NJ DOT)

The closure caused delays of at least 30 minutes for NJ Transit buses from the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Some routes were also detoured.

There have been two fatal crashes on Route 3 so far this year, according to State Police records.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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