2 Dead, Dozens Hurt As Hundreds Crash On NJ's Icy Roads

NEW JERSEY — At least two people died and dozens sustained injuries Wednesday in New Jersey amid icy road conditions. The hazardous weather has caused school delays and closures, traffic and hundreds of accidents.

State Police responded to 262 crashes and 125 calls for motorist aid from 4 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, a department spokesperson told Patch.

A fatal crash occurred on Route 3 in East Rutherford, said Police Chief Phil Taormina.

Also, a Middlesex County accident killed a 59-year-old woman after her car was unable to stop on the ice and collided with a garbage truck early Wednesday morning in Old Bridge, police said.

Gov. Phil Murphy did not call a state of emergency, as he has in anticipation of past winter storms, including Monday's snowstorm that primarily impacted South Jersey. But he told residents to heed caution.

"Icy roadway conditions are being reported due to freezing rain," Murphy said. "Please be safe and drive carefully. Stay off the roads if you can."

Several New Jersey towns saw dozens of crashes. Parsippany police reported 39 crashes from 7 to11 a.m., while South Brunswick authorities tallied 33 accidents and many additional vehicle assists Wednesday morning.

Seven people were hospitalized after a 65-car pileup at the intersection of Route 18 South and Route 36 in Eatontown.

"This was a major event due to severe icing conditions that caused slick and dangerous roads which resulted in the pileup,” said Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden. “Our first responders did an exceptional job responding to the accident and maintaining safety at the scene."

Among other notable accidents, an NJ Transit bus lost control in Teaneck, striking a tree with 10 passengers aboard, local officials said. Six people were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, including a chipped tooth, concussion and possible broken leg.

Also in Teaneck, a school bus had a minor crash. Three high school-age students were onboard, and no injuries were reported.

Icy conditions also caused a school bus to turn onto its side Wednesday. There were no children aboard, and the driver wasn't seriously injured, said Acting Police Chief Joe Mandola.

Dozens of school districts delayed openings Wednesday. A few school districts closed for the entire day, including Parsippany and Pleasantville.

Crashes are causing closures and delays on some of New Jersey's highways. Here are the most recent incidents state officials reported:

• A crash on the Garden State Parkway has all southbound lanes blocked as of 2:20 p.m. Wednesday, south of Exit 149 and Route 506 in Bloomfield.
• A vehicle remains disabled as of 2:07 p.m. on the George Washington Bridge's lower-level westbound Lower Trans Manhattan Expressway. One right lane is blocked.
• Officials conducted emergency construction after a Route 10 eastbound crash by Ridgedale Avenue in Hanover.

There's a chance of more rain into Wednesday evening throughout the state, according to forecasters. While Thursday may present clear weather during the day, snow is likely Thursday night, officials predict.

Here's the forecast for the Newark Liberty International Airport as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service:

• Wednesday: Periods of rain, mainly before 5 p.m. High near 43. Southwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
• Wednesday night: A 20 percent chance of rain before 8 p.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 31. Southwest wind 8 to 10 mph.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Wind chill values between 25 and 35. West wind 8 to 10 mph.
• Thursday night: Snow likely, mainly after 2 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 28. West wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

With reporting from Carly Baldwin, Montana Samuels, Sarah Salvadore/Patch staff.