6 Years After Triple Fatal Crash, Renovations Begin At Wayne Gas Station

WAYNE, NJ — The Wayne gas station on Route 23 that was the site of a deadly, drug-induced crash in 2019 is under reconstruction after a long delay, according to a report.

Township officials had approved plans to totally rebuild the Delta gas station (1220 NJ-23) a year before the crash and include new safety measures, but the project is just now getting underway.

The fatal crash on Feb. 19, 2019 claimed the lives of gas station attendant Lovedeep Fatra and a father and son who had stopped to refuel: 50-year-old Jon and 17-year-old Luke Warbeck.

Driver Jason Vanderee lost control of his vehicle, went airborne, and careened into the Delta station, later landing in the parking lot of the car dealership nearby. Vanderee later admitted he was under the influence of heroin, fentanyl, alprazolam and cocaine during the crash, and is serving a decades-long prison sentence.

The township had granted an extension for the project, crews began the work of clearing the site on President's Day in preparation for a new fueling station, as NorthJersey.com reported.

Around that time, people on social media had noted they saw crews tearing down the buildings at the site and preparing to put new fuel tanks in. The auto repair shop that once stood there will be replaced by a smaller building containing offices, restrooms, and some space to sell basic car maintenance equipment, NorthJersey.com reported.

The plans also include new protections for the fuel islands and a kiosk for attendants to seek shelter, that report said.