Three people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a crash involving a car, a passenger van and a truck transporting cows, New Jersey state police said Sunday.
The accident occurred at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday in the northbound lanes of Interstate 287 in Bernards Township near Exit 26.
The driver of the truck stopped on the shoulder to repair the trailer carrying cows. His vehicle was then struck by a passing car driven by 23-year-old Ravi Naik of Hillsborough. Naik pulled over and got out.
Moments later, a van crashed into a guardrail and the trailer, then fatally struck Naik, according to investigators.
Two passengers in the van also died. Their names have not been released.
The driver of the van, Xu Feng Ma, and three passengers were taken to Morristown Medical Center. Seven van passengers were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. None of their injuries were life-threatening, police said.
Troy Chase, 43, of Pittston, Maine, the driver of the cattle transporter, sustained minor injuries and was taken to Overlook Medical Center in Summit, police said.
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Some cows died and others were transported from the scene, investigators said.
Traffic was backed up for hours following the accident. The road was closed Sunday morning and traffic was being detoured.
No charges have been filed.
