Carlstadt, NJ — June 28, 2025, two people were injured in a truck accident at about 4:40 a.m. on the New Jersey Turnpike/Interstate 95.
Authorities said a southbound Honda Civic hit a guardrail on the right shoulder near mile marker 114.7, then crashed into the back of a parked International semi-truck.
The 26-year-old Bronx man who was a passenger in the Honda was hospitalized with serious injuries in the crash, according to authorities, while the driver, a 25-year-old Paterson man, suffered moderate injuries. Their names have not been made public yet.
The truck driver suffered minor injuries, authorities said.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Bergen County crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people hear about a crash involving a car hitting a parked 18-wheeler on the shoulder of the New Jersey Turnpike, their first reaction is often to assume the car driver is at fault. But from a legal perspective, that’s not always a safe assumption. To really understand what happened here, we need more information, and the right kind of investigation.
What stands out right away is that the semi-truck was parked on the shoulder when the Honda Civic hit it. The key legal question becomes: why was the truck parked there in the first place? Trucks break down, drivers have emergencies, but they can also pull over unlawfully, and when that happens, they create deadly hazards.
We don’t yet know if this truck had mechanical trouble or if the driver simply stopped for a break. We also don’t know whether the truck had its hazard lights on or reflective triangles out. These are basic safety measures that are legally required whenever a truck is stopped on the shoulder. If any of that was missing, it may have contributed to the crash.
On the flip side, the car first hit a guardrail before hitting the truck, which raises another important question: Was the driver already in trouble before reaching the truck? Was he distracted, speeding, impaired or just reacting to something on the road? It’s also not clear how far onto the shoulder the truck was parked, or if it may have been partially in the travel lane. That detail alone could determine how much legal responsibility the truck driver bears.
The only way to get real answers is through evidence. The truck’s electronic control module (ECM) may tell us how long the vehicle had been stopped, whether the engine was running and if the hazard lights were on. Dash cam footage, if available, can show road conditions, lighting and whether the truck was properly parked. Cell phone records and driver logs can fill in the gaps. Without those, all anyone has are guesses.
I’ve worked on cases where trucks were parked illegally or unsafely, and while it’s easy to blame the car driver, those cases often turn out to be far more complicated. In one case, a trucker had parked on the shoulder without any warning devices. A driver who veered slightly to the right ended up slamming into the rear of the trailer. The trucker’s employer argued it was the car driver’s fault, but when we dug into the case, the truth was far different.
That’s why every crash like this demands a thorough, independent investigation. Not just a glance at the scene, but a careful review of all the data that tells the story of what really happened.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s not yet clear why the 18-wheeler was parked on the shoulder or whether it was done legally and safely.
- The car hit a guardrail first, suggesting the driver may have lost control before striking the truck.
- Evidence like ECM data, dash cam footage and hazard lights status will be critical to determining fault.
- Responsibility may not lie with one party alone; both drivers’ actions, and inactions, may be relevant.
- A full investigation is necessary to uncover the facts and hold the right parties accountable.
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