2 Dead, 1 Injured In Route 18 Crash In Colts Neck
COLTS NECK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Two people were killed and another person critically injured when a commercial truck overturned on a central New Jersey highway.
The truck, which was carrying construction materials, collided with two other vehicles just before 6:30 a.m. on Route 18 in Colts Neck.
Three people were ejected from the truck when it overturned into the median from the northbound lanes, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said.
Two were pronounced dead at the scene. A third person was rushed to the hospital.
Residents on Kathleen Drive, which runs parallel to Route 18, said they were awoken by the crash.
"I heard like a real loud bang," resident Eileen Gearty said. "One of my cats sleeps in the bed and he just took off."
Debris covered the northbound lanes after the crash. The truck could be seen across the road from a container it was carrying, which appeared to be full dirt and wood, CBS2's Meg Baker reported.
The highway had been closed in both directions between exits 19 and 22 throughout the morning commute. The northbound lanes remain closed as emergency crews and police continue to investigate the cause of the accident.
Motorists have been rerouted onto Route 34 and Route 537.
Anyone with information about the crash is urged to call Detective Eric Kerecman of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office at 1-800-533-7443 or Sgt. Kristian DeVito of the Colts Neck Township Police Department at 732-780-7323.
