NJ soccer player dies in car-truck crash on Route 9 in Old Bridge
OLD BRIDGE — A 22-year-old township man was killed when his vehicle rear-ended a tractor trailer stopped for a red light on Route 9 early Saturday morning, according to Old Bridge police.
Acting Police Chief Joseph Mandola said a BMW driven by Miguel Reis was heading south and hit the truck at Ferry Road around 3:40 a.m., just as the light turned green, sending the sedan into the northbound lanes.
Reis, who was alone in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the chief.
The road was closed for about four hours in both directions for an investigation.
Reis was an athlete with the NJFC soccer club, within the UPSL Premier Division, according to the team's Instagram page.
"Miguel was there for the first season of NJFC which made him family forever. Fly high and watch over us! We love you," the team wrote.
It was the first fatal crash on Route 9 in Middlesex County in 2021, according to State Police fatal accident statistics. There were six fatal crashes in Old Bridge in 2020, including three on Route 9.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ