Local Mail Destroyed in Truck Fire

Some mail sent from Green Brook between Sept. 7 and Sept. 10 may not get delivered, after postal officials determined that a Sept. 11 fire in a mail truck on the New Jersey Turnpike destroyed mail sent from area ZIP codes.

The truck driver was killed when the truck he was driving on the Turnpike hit another truck and caught fire, according to a Department of Transportation press release on the incident. The truck was carrying one day’s worth of mail to a variety of locations in central New Jersey, including letters and packages bound for some state government offices in Trenton and the surrounding area, the DOT said.

The contents of the mail truck—including mail from Green Brook, Watchung and Warren and ZIP codes beginning 070 to 076, 078, 079, 088 or 089, mailed between Sept. 7 and Sept. 10, was destroyed in the fire.

As of Tuesday, the USPS Consumer Affairs Office had not received any inquiries about lost mail, according to George Flood, the postal service's regional spokesperson. But concerned customers may call 800-275-8777 to report lost mail, he said.

The DOT release said Gov. Chris Christie has ordered state commissioners and agency heads to provide all necessary aid and, where appropriate, flexibility in the application of rules and regulations to those who may have had letters or packages on the truck bound for government offices. Also at Christie's order, all agencies will post information on their websites explaining how affected citizens can obtain assistance with issues resulting from the destruction of this mail. 

The administration is reported to be concerned that residents aren't penalized or lose any benefits because of the incident.

"We're making arrangements to try to help out people whose mail was destroyed in this unfortunate fire," Bill Quinn, spokesman for the state Department of Treasury, said. "If people had payments that were due, we're extending the deadline on that until at least Oct. 15."

Local residents can find an agency’s website by going to the governor’s website and clicking on the link at the top that says “Departments/Agencies,” and then click on the appropriate agency’s link. Residents can also call the Governor’s Constituent Relations Office at 609-777‐2500.