2 Hurt As Backhoe Hits Lacey Road Overpass On Parkway: NJSP

LACEY, NJ — The New Jersey Turnpike Authority spent part of Thursday making repairs to the Lacey Road overpass over the Garden State Parkway, a day after a backhoe hit the structure, New Jersey State Police said.

The backhoe was being trailered behind a Ford pickup truck on Wednesday morning when the pickup went under the overpass but the backhoe did not, Trooper Alejandro Goez said.

The backhoe hit the overpass and got knocked off the trailer and into the travel lanes, and in the process hit a Toyota Camry that was headed north, damaging the car and overturning, blocking all the lanes, Goez said.

The couple in the car, Joseph Triano, 82, and his wife, Arlene Triano, 78, both of Roselle Park, suffered minor injuries and were taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River for treatment, he said.

The driver of the pickup truck was not injured.

The accident closed all of the travel lanes on the northbound parkway for about two hours and traffic diverted onto the shoulder. Lacey Road also was closed briefly in the area of the Parkway.

This is not the first time the Lacey overpass has been hit.In 2008 an improperly loaded car crusher did significant damage when it hit the overpass as it was southbound on the Garden State Parkway. The Turnpike Authority had to put in a temporary span for Lacey Road traffic and spent more than $5.6 million repairing the bridge. It later recovered $4.3 million from the trucking company.

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