Mass-Casualty Incident, 2nd Crash Injures 47 On NJ Highway

CHESTERFIELD, NJ — Shortly after a mass-casualty incident injured dozens of people on the New Jersey Turnpike, a different collision in the area hurt several others on Sunday, officials said.

A total of 47 people sustained minor injuries from the separate crashes, which both happened Sunday afternoon on the Jersey Turnpike in Chesterfield, Burlington County.

The first crash injured 39 people at 12:55 p.m. on the turnpike's north outer roadway in Chesterfield, Burlington County, according to State Police. One bus rear-ended another, causing a chain-reaction crash involving three other cars.

Authorities called it a mass-casualty incident, as the event required a major response that overwhelmed the capacity of emergency resources.

At least 15 ambulances plus paramedics went to the scene from three different counties, according to the Robbinsville Township Fire Department. Multiple fire departments and rescue units extricated victims, including one of the bus drivers.

The incident caused miles-long traffic jams on the highway.

About an hour later, eight people were injured in a different collision on the turnpike's south inner roadway in the same area, authorities said.

Both crashes happened around the turnpike's 56.5 milepost, but it's unclear whether they're related.

In the second incident, a Toyota pickup truck collided with a GMC SUV at 2:11 p.m. Sunday. Four people from each vehicle were brought to the hospital with minor injuries, according to State Police.

Authorities didn't have information on Monday morning about how the crash unfolded.

Both collisions are under investigation.