According to the New Jersey State Police, one person was killed in an accident involving three vehicles in Warren on Dec. 22. The westbound Interstate 78 incident also left five people injured, including three minors, reportedly.
According to officials, the fatal car accident took place at about 7:05 p.m., when a 54-year-old man driving a Honda Odyssey on I-78 rear-ended a 2013 Audi S-5 at mile marker 37.9. The Odyssey, in turn, crashed into a 2010 Nissan Altima. While the Audi caromed off the highway and crashed into a tree as a result of the latter crash, the Nissan veered off to the left side of the road and hit a guardrail.
So too did the Honda end up off of the highway. Like the Audi, it struck a tree. The 54-year-old driver of the Honda died at the scene of the accident, officials said. Three children in the vehicle received emergency transport to a hospital for treatment of injuries that officials did not deem to be life-threatening. The 36-year-old driver of the Audi as well as the 61-year-old driver of the Nissan suffered non-life-threatening injuries as well, authorities reported. Police commenced an investigation into the accident, which is ongoing.
Accidents as harmful as the Dec. 22 wreck in Warren require a thorough investigation from law enforcement officials and, in many cases, result in the filing of both criminal and civil cases. This is especially so when factors such as distracted driving, speeding, driving under the influence or even defective auto parts are revealed to be contributing factors by investigators. Criminal proceedings do not preclude the accident’s injured victims from seeking compensation for damages in civil court. However, the personal injury attorney representing them may adopt evidence from the criminal case to bolster the lawsuit.
Source: mycentraljersey.com, “3-car crash on Interstate 78 in Warren kills Virginia man“, Everett Merrill, December 23, 2014