EDISON, NJ — A 47-year-old man was killed on the New Jersey Turnpike in Edison early Tuesday. New Jersey State Police said the driver who struck him, an Edison resident, has been charged.
Around 3:52 a.m. on Tuesday, troopers responded to a crash on the Turnpike's southbound outer roadway at milepost 87.7 in Edison Township, state police said.
Brian Flanagan of Manchester was working inside a marked construction zone with a two-lane closure, according to the preliminary investigation. A GMC SUV entered the work zone and hit Flanagan, police said. He suffered fatal injuries.
Flanagan was the chief of the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company in Manchester, the company said in a statement announcing his death Tuesday.
"It is with great sadness that Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company announces the unexpected passing of our beloved Chief, Brian Flanagan, this morning," the statement said.
The company described him as "a loving husband, father, uncle, friend, and brother to our fire company family."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and everyone grieving this heartbreaking loss," the statement said. "Rest easy, Chief. Thank you for your service and dedication. You will never be forgotten."
The driver did not stay at the scene and fled, state police said.
Investigators later identified the driver as Anthony Bernardi, 40, of Edison. He was arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree vehicular homicide and second-degree leaving the scene of an accident with fatal injuries.
Bernardi is being held in the Middlesex County Jail while he waits for a detention hearing, police said.
The crash remains under investigation.
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