NJ highways start new year with several crashes, overturns

TRENTON — A closure of the Garden State Parkway on the Jersey Shore was one of several crashes and incidents that marred the beginning of the new year around New Jersey on Sunday morning.

NJ State Police spokesman Sgt. Gregory Williams said that the driver of a 2000 GMC Jimmy pickup up truck lost control and overturned on the Parkway in the southbound express lanes around 11:30 a.m.on Sunday near exit 117 in Aberdeen.

The pickup caught fire, according to Williams, and the male driver was taken from the scene via medical helicopter.

The express lanes were completely closed while the helicopter landed. At least one lane remains closed for an investigation as of 1 p.m. Rubberneckers in the local southbound lanes and drivers caused a multi-mile delay.

Three people were hurt when a driver of a Jeep pulled over to the shoulder of Route 21 northbound in Passaic near the Union Avenue Bridge service road to change a tire was hit by a Dodge Challenger early on Sunday morning. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said the impact threw the driver onto the grass median surface with a 15-foot elevation drop.

The driver walked up the slope of the median and was found to have no broken bones or serious injuries, according to Valdes, who said two passengers in the Jeep were not injured.

Valdes said the driver of the Challenger was not under the influence nor speeding when he hit the Jeep and has a vaild drivers license. No criminal charges have been filed.

A utility pole was hit on Route 1 southbound in New Brunswick around 6 a.m., according to New Brunswick Police captain J.T. Miller, blocking the exit ramp to Route 18. Miller said the crash brought down the pole, a transtormer and wires onto the roadway that led to  some power outages.

Miller said the pole also caught fire and the driver was treated for minor injuries. The driver's identify was not disclosed by Miller.

At the Jersey Shore, a pedestrian was stuck on Route 35 in Middletown in the southbound lanes at Andover Street around 1:30 a.m. Middletown Police Lt. Paul Bailey said that the driver of the vehicle left the scene but returned.to the scene.

The person stuck was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for what Bailey said were non-life threatening injuries. The identity of both people involved in the incident was not disclosed by Bailey who said their investigation is ongoing.

Bailey asked that anyone with information about the Middletown crash should call police at 732-615-2100.

The Lakewood Scoop reported three or four vehicles were involved in a crash on Route 9 on the Lakewood/Howell border. At least one person was seriously injured, according to the report.

Lakewood Police have not returned a message seeking additional information.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.