A 43-year-old man was killed when a tractor-trailer caused a chain-reaction accident at 5 p.m. on June 9 on the southbound side of the New Jersey Turnpike at milepost 114.6 in Carlstadt. Police say that the 55-year-old truck driver was in the left lane when he failed to notice traffic slowing down in front of him. He then collided with a vehicle that had slowed down with traffic, which then collided with other vehicles in front of it.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was reportedly on his cellphone when the accident happened, and police said on Aug. 2 that he was being charged with vehicular homicide as well as hindering apprehension. In addition, he was cited for reckless driving and improperly using a cellphone. Authorities say that in addition to the man who passed away, others were injured in the wreck.
According to reports, the man was taken into custody at his home and was being held at Bergen County Jail pending $50,000 bail. While police believe that the man was on his cellphone at the time of the accident, they are still investigating to find out if that was the reason why the crash occurred.
A truck accident that occurs due to driver error can cause serious injury or death to those involved in the accident. In the event that a driver is hurt or killed, the injured parties or the family of those who pass away may take legal action to hold the driver financially responsible for the accident. A personal injury attorney may be able to seek compensation to pay for medical bills, lost wages or final expenses.