Thanksgiving charter bus crash on Turnpike kills 1

HAMILTON (Mercer) — A concrete barrier on the New Jersey Turnpike appears to have stopped a charter bus from falling into a creek during a crash on the night after Thanksgiving.

One person died in the crash, officials said.

The incident happened in the southbound outer lanes near exit 7A about 8:45 p.m. Friday, according to State Police Sgt. Lawrence Peele, who said the cause of the crash remained under investigation Saturday morning.

About 20 people were on board the Skyliner Travel and Tours Bus Corp bus, which was headed from Manhattan to Philadelphia.

Video of the crash scene shows the front of the bus resting against a concrete barrier of the bridge over Crosswicks Creek.

A Hyundai traveling behind the bus was damaged by debris, police said.

Robbinsville firefighters said that the driver was trapped. Police said the driver was pulled out and sent to Capital Health in Hopewell with moderate injuries.

There were six others with minor injuries, one of whom was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton.

Police said they would identify the victim who died after the person's family is notified.

The outer roadway was closed for several hours.

The crash appears to be the first fatality on a New Jersey highway during the Thanksgiving holiday. State Police said seven people died in crashes during the holiday in 2018.

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