An accident on the New Jersey Turnpike in the morning rush hour left 10 people injured on Dec. 17. An investigation into why the crash happened is ongoing, and no charges have been filed as of the time of this report.
The crash involved three tractor-trailers and a New Jersey transit bus. According to police reports, the commercial vehicle accident happened at about 7:49 a.m. when a semi-trailer changed lanes and struck a bus that was traveling north from Lakewood to Lincoln Harbor in the HOV lane.
One passenger on the bus said after impact it felt as if the bus was about to roll. Passengers were helping the injured, he said, despite flying glass inside the bus. Ten passengers were injured in the accident, with two suffering serious harm. They were transported to a Newark university hospital.
The New Jersey Turnpike was closed to traffic until 12:50 p.m. The area was cleared, and the roadway investigation concluded.
Due to their size and momentum, commercial trucks require the driver to exert a greater degree of care, particularly in high-traffic highway situations. Changing lanes quickly or in bad conditions may result in serious accidents, as in this case. Injuries due to negligence on the part of a truck driver may be serious and require intense medical care and long-term recuperation. When this happens, the passengers may seek to be compensated for medical bills and lost time at work. They may ask for compensation from the driver who caused the accident and his or her employer.
An attorney may use accident reconstruction reports and police reports to determine fault in the crash. The attorney may help the injured individuals by filing a personal injury lawsuit for damages.
Source: NJ.com, “10 injured in NJ Transit bus, tractor-trailer crash on Turnpike in Linden“, Jessica Remo and Larry Higgs, December 17, 2014