Huge backups Tuesday morning on Turnpike, trouble on NJ Transit

Tuesday morning commuters had major problems on three NJ Transit lines and the New Jersey Turnpike.

A crash around 5 a.m. between three tractor-trailers closed the southbound outer lanes near exit 11 for the Garden State Parkway and caused a 12-mile rubbernecking delay in the inner lanes that started near Newark Liberty International Airport according to New Jersey Fast Traffic.

The truck lanes were reopened around 9 a.m. but a lane remained closed for guardrail repairs.

Video by All County News showed one trailer of a tandem-tractor trailer on its side in the left lanes with boxes spilling out of a roof panel that opened up. The second trailer in the tandem trailer was upright on the left shoulder.

Another tractor trailer was parked on the right shoulder, with damage to its cab and part of the trailer. A heavy-duty tow truck was lifting a third trailer, laying on its side in the middle lanes, is also seen in the video.

The Middlesex County Hazardous Material Team was also seen on the scene in the All County News video.

State police spokesman Alejandro Goez told New Jersey 101.5 a roll-off truck was traveling south on the ramp from the Thomas Edison Service Area to the outer roadway. The driver lost control and the truck entered the shoulder where it struck a parked tractor trailer, according to Goez, overturning the roll-off truck which went into the outer roadway and struck a box truck traveling south in the right lane and a double tractor trailer traveling in the center lane.

The box truck and double tractor trailer overturned, Goez said.

The driver of the roll-off truck sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, according to Goez.

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NJ Transit delays

In a separate incident causing difficulties for commuters Tuesday morning, a fallen overhead wire caused service on NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton, Morris & Essex and Gladstone Branch to be suspended between Newark Broad Street around 6 a.m. The suspension was still in effect as of 8:40 a.m.

A picture on NJ Transit's Twitter account showed the wire on top of a train. NJ Transit didn't say on its Twitter account or other social media what effect that had on the train or passengers.

Substitute bus service was provided between Newark Broad Street and Newark Penn Station and Newark Broad St and Hoboken. NJ Transit rail tickets and passes were being cross-honored by PATH at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken and 33rd Street in New York as well as on NJ Transit light rail, bus and private bus carriers.

NJ Transit urged riders heading for New York to use the Newark Light rail to Newark Penn Station and transfer to the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line.

and Hoboken and Newark Broad St and Penn Station New York

Join our Commuter Panel by contacting reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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