NTSB to Meet on Multivehicle crash in New Jersey
AUGUST 7, 2015
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The
National Transportation Safety Board will meet to determine the probable cause
of the June 7, 2014 multi-vehicle crash near Cranbury, New Jersey.
A
2011 Peterbilt truck tractor, operated by Walmart Transportation LLC struck a
slowly moving 2012 Mercedes-Benz limo van, the first of several collisions
ultimately involving 21 people and six vehicles.
One of the five passengers in
the limo van’s passenger compartment was killed and four others were seriously
injured. The two front seat limo van occupants and three people in other
vehicles sustained minor injuries.
Event:
Board Meeting
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 11, 2015, 9:30 a.m. ET
Location:
NTSB Board Room and Conference Center 429 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, D.C.
Participants: NTSB Board members
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Preliminary Report: Highway Accident Investigation, Cranbury, NJ
Executive Summary
The information in this report is preliminary and will be supplemented or corrected during the course of the investigation.
Preliminary Report issued: June 18, 2014
On Saturday, June 7, 2014, about 12:54 a.m., eastern daylight time,
a 2011 Peterbilt truck‑tractor and semitrailer combination vehicle
operated by Wal-Mart Transportation (Wal‑Mart) was traveling north on
the New Jersey Turnpike, near Cranbury, New Jersey, in the center lane
of the three-lane northbound roadway. As the combination vehicle
approached milepost 71.4, traffic had slowed due to construction work
ahead on the turnpike. The Peterbilt combination vehicle struck the rear
of a 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter limo van, which was operated by
Atlantic Transportation Services and occupied by a driver and six
passengers. The two vehicles moved forward and were involved in
secondary impacts with other vehicles that were slowed in the traffic
queue. The limo van rolled over and came to rest on its left side,
facing east, across the center and right lanes. As a result of the
collision, one passenger in the Mercedes‑Benz limo van was fatally
injured and four other van occupants were transported to the hospital
with injuries of various severities. Six vehicles were involved in the
impacts, but none of the other 16 people occupying these vehicles were
transported to the hospital.
NTSB investigators obtained information concerning the construction
project. Construction contractors were performing work on a large
overhead sign about 2.7 miles north of the crash location. The right and
center lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike were closed in the vicinity of
this construction zone. About 0.9 mile south of the crash location, an
advance warning sign notified northbound traffic of the lane closure
ahead. About 0.4 mile south of the crash location, speed limit signs
were posted that reduced the speed from 55 mph to 45 mph.
The Peterbilt truck-tractor was equipped with an electronically
controlled Cummins ISX engine. The engine control module (ECM) could
record vehicle speed, engine rpm, brake circuit status, throttle
percentage, and other associated data in a sudden deceleration event.
NTSB investigators imaged the ECM on June 11, 2014. A preliminary review
of the data showed that the Peterbilt combination vehicle was traveling
at 65 mph for the 60 seconds preceding the collision with the
Mercedes-Benz limo van. NTSB investigators are correlating these data
with the physical evidence.
The morning before the crash, the 35-year-old driver of the
Peterbilt combination vehicle had arrived at a Wal-Mart facility in
Smyrna, Delaware, and electronic driver log information showed that he
went on duty at 11:22 a.m. on June 6, 2014. The log also showed that the
driver made deliveries and pickups in New Jersey, Delaware, and
Pennsylvania throughout the day. According to his log, about 12:20 a.m.
on June 7, 2014, the driver left a Wal-Mart facility near Bristol,
Pennsylvania, en route to a facility in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The
crash occurred about 30 miles after he left the Pennsylvania facility.
According to electronic driver log information, the Peterbilt
combination vehicle driver had logged 9 hours 37 minutes of driving time
when the crash occurred. With respect to the maximum 14-hour
consecutive duty period for commercial motor vehicle drivers, the driver
had logged 13 hours 32 minutes at the time of the collision. NTSB
investigators are comparing the log information with supporting
documentation. Additionally, investigators are compiling and analyzing
information to determine the activities of the Peterbilt combination
vehicle driver and the amount of rest he received in the hours and days
preceding the crash.
NTSB investigators documented the damage to the vehicles using 3D laser scanning technology.
Three-dimensional scans of the Peterbilt combination vehicle and
the Mercedes Benz limo van are provided in figures 1 and 2 below.
Figure 1. Three-dimensional scan of the Peterbilt combination vehicle involved in the June 7, 2014, crash in Cranbury, New Jersey.
Figure 2. Three-dimensional scan of the Mercedes-Benz limo van involved in the June 7, 2014, crash in Cranbury, New Jersey.
Probable Cause
The information in this report is preliminary and will be supplemented or corrected during the course of the investigation.