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Jul 25, 2023

Truck rams through multiple vehicles on Route 78, injuring kids

BLOOMSBURY – A toddler and a 4-year-old boy were among seven people injured

BLOOMSBURY – A toddler and a 4-year-old boy were among seven people injured after a truck went out of control and plowed through traffic on Route 78 on Monday afternoon.

The chain reaction began at 4:25 p.m. in the eastbound lanes near Exit 7 in Hunterdon County. That's where a 2019 Kentworth tractor-trailer rear-ended a Mazda CX-5, pushing into a guardrail on the left side of the interstate. A tire that flew from the car landed on a Kia Sorrento.

The Mazda's driver, Abbie G. Stross, 35, of Mount Laurel, and the truck driver, Michael L. Ansley, 50, of Athens, Georgia, were seriously injured. The 1- and 4-ear-old boys in the car were moderately injured, State Police said.

The truck, meanwhile, kept moving. It rear-ended a 2007 Freightliner, then pushed a 2015 Freightliner box truck into a guardrail, and finally struck the 2007 Freightliner a second time.

No charges have been filed and the cause of the cause remains under investigation.

The eastbound lanes of Route 78 were closed for over three hours. Both directions were closed for a time to allow a medical helicopter to land.

Several hours earlier a dump truck overturned in the westbound lanes near Exit 11 (Route 173) in Union Township, which also caused delays.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at [email protected]

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