Hopatcong Man Killed Walking Across Route 80, Cops Say

A Hopatcong man was killed on Wednesday night when he was hit by two cars , police said.

The man, identified as James Childs, 56, was walking along Route 80 westbound and then crossed over the barrier into the eastbound lanes, according to Lt. Stephen Jones of the New Jersey State Police.

The man was hit first by a 2011 RAV4 that was driving east in the center lane and then, upon impact, was thrown into the left lane, where he was hit by a 2013 Hyundai Elantra, police said. His body landed on the left shoulder of the highway, according to police.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:25 p.m. by the Morris County Medical Examiner, who took possession of the body.

Jones said that the investigation into the accident is ongoing, but that the place where the man was walking was “clearly not a pedestrian area.”

Neither driver was issued a summons, and Jones said that alcohol and drugs were not factors in the crash.

Route 80 was closed for several hours last night while investigators were reviewing the scene.