A dump truck struck two New Jersey state troopers and multiple pedestrians in West Orange, New Jersey, on Tuesday morning, police said.
Both troopers, who were outside their patrol cars, were taken to a hospital and sustained serious injuries that were not life-threatening. Another trooper sustained minor injuries, and the pedestrians reported no serious injuries, state police said on Twitter.
Aerial video of the scene from CNN affiliate WABCshows the dump truck on its side along the right guardrail on Interstate 280. An ambulance in front of the dump truck is smashed up against the back of a fire engine, which is resting against the right guardrail. A silver vehicle and a white van nearby also showed various damage.
The crash was on I-280 eastbound, West Orange public information officer Joe Fagan said. Eastbound lanes were closed down, and westbound traffic was bottle-necking, he said.
New Jersey Acting Gov. Sheila Oliver said she had visited the injured state troopers in the hospital.
“Our thoughts are with the state troopers, fire personnel, EMS professionals, and pedestrians who were injured in this morning’s incident along Interstate 280, when a dump truck plowed into the site of an earlier accident,” she said.
“While this is an ongoing investigation, it should remind us all of the dangers our first responders can encounter while performing their jobs on our roadways. We wish all of those injured a speedy recovery. We will continue to pray for them all.”
