Thursday, July 14, 2016

Truck driver dies in fiery crash on Route 78 in Hunterdon, NJ after blown tire




(Photo: Keith Muccilli/ Staff Photgrapher)


 Truck driver dies in fiery crash on Route 78 in Hunterdon
Everett Merrill, @EverettMerrill 1:37 p.m. EDT July 14, 2016




One driver died in a two-truck accident on Interstate 78 in Oldwick Township on July 14, 2016. STAFF VIDEO BY KEITH MUCCILLI


TEWKSBURY, NJ - The State Police are investigating if a blown tire was the cause of a fatal truck crash on Route 78 Thursday morning, according to Capt. Steven Jones.

The driver of the truck, whose name was not released by police, died at the scene of the fiery crash at approximately 7:15 a.m. just after the Cokesbury Road exit in the township.

"It's going to take forensic evidence to determine if the blown tire was the cause," Jones said.

It was the fourth fatality on Route 78 this year.

In June a man died on the highway in Warren in Somerset County when he was driving the wrong way, State Police said. A Pennsylvania woman died on January 6 in Clinton Township near mile-marker 24 when the driver of the car she was in lost control and drove off the left side of the highway before crossing back across three lanes and striking a guardrail when it overturned,


In April, a New Hampshire teenager died when the driver of the car he was in lost control and he was ejected.

In 2015 there were four vehicle-related deaths on Route 78 in Somerset and Hunterdon counties, according to the State Police.

"It's fairly rare when a mechanical failure causes a crash," Jones said. "Tragic crashes occur usually because of driver decisions. We're always trying to get people to pay attention and to make driving the number one priority.

"The single most common cause of tragic accidents is distracted driving."

Jones said no other vehicles were involved in the crash that closed the highway for several hours and caused significant delays on the side roads and Route 22.