Bus Driver Made U-Turn In Route 18 Crash In Marlboro: Police

MARLBORO, NJ — In a crash Tuesday, Dec. 12, a school bus driver made a U-turn on Route 18, causing a collision with a fuel tanker that closed the road for hours in Marlboro, police here said.

In an update Friday, police did not as yet release the identities of the drivers. No information was released on the district the school bus was contracted with, but there were no students on the bus.

But police did say the driver of the tanker, who was hospitalized, is in stable condition.

Patrolman Christopher Van Curen is in charge of the investigation of the accident and he provided the following update:

The school bus was traveling northbound on Route 18 and attempted to make a U-turn in the “emergency vehicle only” turnaround to travel Route 18 southbound, Van Curen said.

The tractor trailer was traveling Route 18 southbound. The school bus entered the roadway from the turnaround in front of the tractor trailer, causing a collision between the two vehicles, the officer said. The accident was reported at about 3 p.m. on Dec. 12.

The truck driver, who was transported to the hospital, currently remains at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune in stable condition, according to the update.

Van Curen said that although Route 18 northbound and southbound were fully opened shortly after 1 a.m. on Dec. 13, there may be future delays in the area due to an ongoing environmental cleanup that is underway as a result of the fuel spill.

He said additional information will be released as the investigation continues.

Both lanes of Route 18 northbound and southbound were shut down for hours Tuesday while police investigated the crash and the site was cleared. The road was closed between Route 79 and Route 520, police said.

Responding to the scene of the crash were members of the Marlboro Township Police Department, Marlboro Township O.E.M., Marlboro First Aid Squad, Marlboro Fire Department, Robertsville Fire Department, Old Bridge Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Monmouth County HazMat, paramedics from Atlantic Health and the state Department of Transportation.

Van Curen is with the Marlboro Township Police Department Traffic and Safety Unit.

If anyone witnessed the crash or has questions about the crash, Van Curen can be reached at 732-536-0100 ext. 1144 or cvancuren@marlboropd.org.