2 killed in bad crash on major road leading to Lincoln Tunnel in New Jersey
HUDSON COUNTY, New Jersey (WABC) -- Two people were killed in a violent crash on a major roadway leading to the Lincoln Tunnel in North Bergen on Sunday night.
According to a preliminary investigation, a North Bergen police officer, driving a marked vehicle, was following a civilian vehicle.
Officials say the civilian vehicle collided into another, an uninvolved vehicle, around 11:20 p.m. on Tonnelle Avenue between 50th and 51st streets.
The two civilian drivers were seriously injured in the crash, and were later pronounced dead.
Two others were also injured in the crash. Their conditions are not yet known.
Both cars were completely totaled, leaving debris in the roadway including soccer balls and car parts.
People nearby at the time of the crash said they heard a loud noise and they saw the fire department rushing over to the scene.
They said first responders were seen pulling people out of the cars.
"I was right there. Three guys in that one, I think it was three Indian guys. They were playing soccer because they got a uniform, and one guy from the blue one," said North Bergen resident Luis Benitez. "They cut that quick, to take the body out. You know that people who were alive."
Residents of the neighborhood said they hear and see car crashes often, citing speed as one of the factors.
"After this, there is no traffic light up until 61st Street where the North Bergen police station is at, so this is why there are a lot of speeding cars, motorcycles and even trucks," said North Bergen resident Raul Mendez, Jr.
All lanes on Route 1 and 9 and Tonnelle Avenue were closed in both directions north of 44th Street but have since reopened.
The investigation is now in the hands of the New Jersey state attorney general, which took over from both county and local law enforcement.
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