Crime & Safety
UPDATE: 1 Dead After Bus, Garbage Truck Collide In Maplewood
A NJ Transit bus and a garbage truck collided on Springfield Avenue in Maplewood on Tuesday, and one person has died, authorities said.
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A NJ Transit bus and a garbage truck collided Tuesday on Springfield Avenue in Maplewood, and one person has died, authorities said.
The bus driver was transported to University Hospital in Newark where he was pronounced dead at 5:48 p.m., according to Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly of the prosecutor's Homicide Unit. The bus driver has been identified as Larry Wiley, 65, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.
The incident occurred at approximately 12:35 p.m. in the area of 1450 Springfield Avenue. The bus driver was the sole occupant of the bus and the garbage truck was occupied by the driver and three passengers, according to the ECPO.
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The cause of death will be determined by an autopsy at the NJ Northern Regional Medical Examiner's Office. The driver and passengers of the garbage truck were also transported to University Hospital where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Crash and Fire Investigative Unit and the Maplewood Police Department are investigating the crash, authorities said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Prosecutor's Tips Line at (877) 847-7432.
Find out what's happening in Maplewoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
An earlier version of this story prematurely stated that the crash was fatal, and was based on information provided in an NBC4 New York report that has since been corrected. Patch apologizes for any confusion.
“The NJ Transit bus driver, who was the sole occupant of the bus, is undergoing surgery,” prosecutors said before the death was confirmed. “The driver and passengers of the dump truck were also transported to an area hospital for treatment of serious bodily injuries.”
The Maplewood Police Department issued the following alert at 1:13 p.m.:
“Springfield Ave. will be closed in both directions between Chancellor Ave. and Becker Terr until further notice. The reason for the closure is a motor vehicle accident.”
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