Rt. 78 West totally closed by one crash (still), a second kills driver

CLINTON — Two separate incidents within a mile of each other on westbound Route 78 caused miles of backups, with one resulting in a death.

A double tractor trailer overturned around 4 a.m. near Route 31 in Clinton, blocking all three lanes, according to State Police spokesman Lt. Ted Schafer. He said the driver suffered minor injuries. Schafer said there was no spill associated with the incident.

Traffic delayed for several miles as it was diverted off at exit 18 for Beaver Avenue. Delays also developed on Route 22 approaching its merge with Route 78.

Within the delay on Route 78, a Ford Focus rear-ended a tractor trailer killing an adult around 8:50 a.m., according to Schafer, He said an 18-month-old child in the Focus received minor injuries. Schafer did not identify the driver who was killed, pending notification of family.

As of 12:45 p.m. the scene of both crashes were cleared and all lanes were reopened.

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

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