Pedestrian killed by NJ State Police vehicle on Route 1

SOUTH BRUNSWICK — A pedestrian was fatally struck by a marked State Police vehicle on Route 1 as the Thursday morning commute was getting underway.

South Brunswick police found the male pedestrian in the southbound lanes near Raymond Road around 5:55 a.m. and pronounced dead at the scene, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.

The male's identity and age were awaiting confirmation by the Prosecutor's Office or the circumstances of the crash. The identity of the trooper involved was not disclosed.

The troop car parked at the crash scene was a sedan that did not appear to have sustained damage.

Route 1 southbound was closed for nearly eight hours and reopened around 2 p.m. following an initial investigation.

Traffic was being detoured off the road at Promenade Boulevard, causing delays as commuters headed to Route 27 to get around the closure. Ridge Road south of Raymond Road was also slow with alternative traffic.

Thursday's crash makes for a total of five people who have died in crashes on South Brunswick roads in 2021, including two on Route 1, according to State Police.

State Police announced earlier in the day that Sgt.Juan Fajardo died in an off-duty motorcycle crash on Route 206 in Mansfield Thursday.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ