SECAUCUS – A tractor-trailer was traveling eastbound on Route 3 beneath the Paterson Plank Road overpass when apparently the cargo, a large steel crane, hit the overpass and fell into the road, crushing a white van in the left lane and wedging it against the wall on the center divide.
Two people were inside the van when the incident took place about 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11. “It’s an absolute miracle that they survived,” Mayor Michael Gonnelli was quoted as saying.
Rescue workers took about fifteen minutes to get the passenger out of the van and about an hour and a half to remove the driver, whose leg was pinned by the crane. Both were transported to Hackensack University Hospital in serious condition.
The overpass was also damaged by the accident, with a support beam pushed three feet as a result of the crash, according to Channel 2 News.
As of about 3:45 p.m. Route 3 East was closed, with all traffic diverted to the service road. Route 3 West had two lanes open and the service road was open. Paterson Plank Road entering Secaucus (by Best Buy) was closed indefinitely, while Paterson Plank Road leaving Secaucus (by Home Depot) was open.