By Kurt Bresswein
The Express-Times
WARREN COUNTY, N.J. — A tow truck towing a box truck crashed into three New Jersey State Police vehicles and an ambulance that were responding late Thursday night to an emergency on Interstate 80 East in Warren County, according to the state police.
The crash occurred at 11:16 p.m. at mile 17.6 in Allamuchy Township, as the emergency responders were at the scene of a prior crash that had closed the left and center lanes, state police spokesman Sgt. Philip Curry said.
Marked state police vehicles with emergency lights activated were positioned in addition to road flares to close the lanes when the Western Star heavy-duty tow truck failed to observe the closure and entered the crash scene, Curry said.
The responding troopers were outside of the three vehicles that were struck and were unhurt, but an EMT inside the Allamuchy-Green First Aid Squad ambulance reported a minor injury, according to state police.
The driver of the tow truck, which was towing a refrigerated box truck, was unhurt, authorities said. He was issued a summons for careless driving.
Photos posted to social media by the Allamuchy Fire Department show severe damage to the state police vehicles and indicate the ambulance as well as a firetruck sustained minor damage.
“We’ve all heard and seen the saying, ‘Slow Down and Move Over,’” the fire department’s post on Friday stated. “By a miracle, every member from Fire, EMS, and police walked away last night and returned home to their families safely.”
New Jersey’s “Move Over Law” requires drivers approaching stationary emergency vehicles, tow trucks, garbage trucks and other highway safety vehicles displaying red, blue or amber flashing lights to move over one lane or, if it’s unsafe to move over, to slow down below the posted speed limit.
Pennsylvania has a similar law requiring drivers approaching an emergency response area to move over to a lane farther away. Drivers who are unable to safely merge into a lane farther away from the emergency response area are required to slow to at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
The first aid squad in a Facebook post said Thursday night’s incident occurred “almost immediately” after the passing of life member and past Capt. Rick Dziergoski: “It is because Rick was watching over our first responders on that scene last night that everyone made it home. We are going to miss you deeply Rick. We are blessed to now have you as one of our angels.”
State police did not identify the tow truck driver and said the crash remained under investigation.
©2023 Advance Local Media LLC.
Visit lehighvalleylive.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.