1 Dead, 1 Hospitalized In I-78 Hit-And-Run Crash

BETHLEHEM, NJ — One person is dead and another was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries following a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 78 in Hunterdon County on Sunday.

At 4:46 p.m., New Jersey State Police(NJSP) Troopers responded to a motor vehicle crash on I-78 East at milepost 7.8 in Bethlehem Township.

Based on a preliminary investigation, a Peterbilt semi-trailer was parked on the right shoulder. A Ford F-150 pulling a camper and an unknown vehicle were traveling eastbound on I-78, said NJSP Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron.

"In the area of milepost 7.8, the unknown vehicle impacted the side of the Ford, causing the Ford to travel onto the right shoulder, where it collided with the Peterbilt trailer," said Lebron.

The unknown vehicle continued driving east, said Lebron.

As a result of the crash, the driver of the Ford, Alan Smith, a 78-year-old man, sustained fatal injuries, and the passenger, Patricia Harvey, a 78-year-old woman, both from Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada, sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to an area hospital.

No other injuries were reported.

The crash remains under investigation, and no additional information is available.

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