Traffic Tied Up Hours After Fatal Turnpike Crash

The outer lane of the Turnpike northbound remained closed as of about 5:30 p.m. after an earlier crash that killed one person, police said.

The fatal crash occurred Monday around 1:30 p.m. near exit 9 involved one-tractor trailer and three dump trucks, said New Jersey State Police spokesman Sgt. Brian Polite.

NJ.com reported the name of the dump truck driver who died is Claudio C. Gavelik Sr., 47, of Old Bridge.

Polite said the driver of one dump truck was pronounced dead at the scene while the driver of the tractor trailer was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital to be treated for injuries.

The accident occurred at just before Exit 9 and traffic back ups are being reported on Route 18 between Route 1 and Edgeboro Road, near Route 32 between the Turnpike and Monroe and Route 130 in South Brunswick, and delays on Route 1 as far south as Plainsboro and as north as Woodbridge Avenue in Edison, according to www.511nj.org.

Around 2:30 p.m. a fire from the crash had been put out and a plume of black smoke could be seen in the area.

Police said the crash is remains under investigation.

Check back for details as they become available.

Editors Note: This article was originally published at 2:57 p.m., and was updated as of 6:50 p.m.