Crime & Safety

Driver Dies in Fiery I-78 Crash

A deadly tractor-trailer crash on I-78 westbound near the toll plaza in Williams Township shut down the highway for several hours Monday.

A fiery crash early Monday morning at the Interstate 78 toll plaza near Easton killed one driver and caused a jam on the highway.

State police say the accident happened at 8:07 a.m. when a tractor trailer collided with another vehicle that was stopped inside the toll plaza.

According to police, both vehicles went through the plaza and came to rest on the north side of the highway, where they caught fire. The truck driver, a 55-year-old from Allentown, managed to escape.

The other driver was trapped inside their vehicle, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are not releasing the name of the deceased driver, pending notification of their next of kin.

Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission spokesman Joe Donnelly  said the crash shut down the highway for several hours Monday, with westbound drivers in New Jersey were redirected to Route 22.

Donnelly said one of the toll lanes had sustained damage in the crash, and was still closed as of Monday evening. All other lanes had reopened as of 6:25 p.m. 


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