SUV crash kills child, man, and 3 women in Rutherford
RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (WABC) -- Five people including a child have been killed after an SUV crashed into the rear of a construction vehicle on westbound Route 3 in Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday night.
The crash happened shortly after 11:00 p.m. A Nissan SUV crashed into a construction vehicle. The impact was so fierce, Rutherford firefighters had to use the jaws of life to remove the victims. Three women, one man and a young boy were all pronounced dead at the scene.
"The initial reports that the vehicle struck a parked construction vehicle were not accurate. The frontend loader was actually in transit, but that's all I have in reference to the details of the accident," Chief John Russo/Rutherford Police Department
"I really don't know the details as to what happened. I was on the scene. The initial discussions down there didn't look to be anything criminal or wrong, just a horrible accident," Russo said.
Prosecutors said 38-year-old Michelle Toledo, 20-year-old Irvina Gee, 23-year-old Sheckylle Chain, and 16-year-old Ayana Navas, all from Paterson, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Four-year-old Noah Alexander Dejesus of Allentown was briefly revived at the scene but was pronounced dead at Hackensack University Medical Center.
A Bergen County fatal accident investigation team will focus on what specifically led to the crash. Speed, traffic pattern, lighting, reckless driving are just some of the factors that will be closely examined.
Westbound Route 3 was shut down and traffic diverted to northbound Route 17 overnight. The roadway reopened shortly before 6:30 a.m.
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