Police Say They Impounded Almost Half Of Vehicles Inspected In Commuter Van Crackdown In Middlesex County

In a crackdown on commuter vans, South Brunswick police and state inspectors checked out 20 vehicles and impounded nine of them on Thursday, authorities said.

Police also issued 80 summonses, including nine summonses issued to unlicensed drivers and another issued to a driver whose license was suspended, said Capt. James Ryan.

South Brunswick police and the state Department of Transportation conducted the inspections of commuter vans Thursday near New Jersey Turnpike Exit 8A.

Ryan said multiple vehicles were deemed to be unsafe and one vehicle was not insured. Several van owners were also issued summonses for allowing unlicensed drivers to get behind the wheels of their vehicles, he said.

The vans often bring workers from around the state to warehouse jobs in that area. In South Brunswick, at least one van was bringing workers from North Jersey to the area, and another vehicle, which was not registered as omnibus and had no insurance, was bringing workers from the Bronx to the large industrial area off of Exit 8A, police said.

Over the years, police and state workers have conducted the inspections, and at times, they have found vans with safety violations, vans that were overcrowded, and vehicles that lacked the proper insurance.

Photo via Twitter, @SoBrunswickPD