An 18-year-old pickup driver was killed in an early morning crash on Route 22 in Green Brook when he was allegedly rear-ended by a Mack truck. Authorities are asking the community for additional information regarding the Oct. 9 event.
The accident happened at about 3:30 a.m. when the pickup was stopped at a traffic light at the Cramer Avenue and Route 22 intersection. The Mack truck driver, from El Mirage, Arizona, hit the Dodge pickup from behind, causing it to erupt in flames. An onlooker tried to free the teenager from the wreck but was unable to do so. That bystander suffered injuries and was helicoptered to a Livingston medical center.
The accident brought response from Green Brook’s Fire and EMS squads, the accident reconstruction team of Somerset County, the New Jersey Department of Transportation and New Jersey’s unit for inspections of commercial vehicles. Route 22 eastbound lanes were closed until about 10:30 a.m. when traffic was able to reenter.
Since a commercial vehicle was involved in the accident, the maintenance logs, inspections and the truck owner’s compliance to regulations may be reviewed by officials. Potential safety defects in the truck model may also be reviewed. In addition, the driver could be asked to submit to alcohol and drug testing. If any aberrations are discovered, the driver and their employer may be held accountable and liable in the incident.
An attorney in a similar situation may review all pertinent data involved in the car accident as well as the driver’s ability to operate the vehicle by licensure and training. If fault is assigned, an attorney may help the family of the victim recover end-of-life expenses as well as lost wages used to help pay household expenses by filing a wrongful death suit against the driver or their employer.
Source: MyCentralJersey.com, “Bridgewater man dies in fiery car crash in Green Brook”, Everett Merrill, October 09, 2014