Weather Conditions Cause Road Accidents in New Jersey

Snow, ice, and freezing rain have led to hundreds of accidents and some fatalities in New Jersey.

During the first major storm of 2014, 250 car accidents were reported on interstates and major highways.

Police also responded to 900 calls from motorists who were stranded by the storm.

A New Jersey Transit bus, with only the driver on board, crashed backward through a building in Paterson, New Jersey after sliding on an ice-covered hill. The driver suffered only minor injuries.

In Springfield, a corrections officer was killed on his way to work at Northern State Prison in Newark, New Jersey. The road was icy when his car was struck from behind and crashed into a snowbank.

An 11-car accident caused the closure of a part of the Staten Island Expressway, and JFK Airport was also closed briefly when a plane skidded off a runway.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, the leading cause of death during winter storms is transportation accidents.

If you’re trapped in a car during a blizzard, you should turn on your emergency flashers and hang a piece of cloth or an emergency flag from your radio antenna or window. Display a “trouble” sign if you have one.

You should turn on the car’s engine for about 10 minutes per hour, and run the heater while the engine is on. Be sure to open a downwind window slightly while the motor is on to help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

You may need to clear snow away from the car’s exhaust pipe to prevent carbon monoxide from backing up into the car.

Stay warm by exercising, staying close to other passengers, and using maps, seat covers, and even floor mats to retain body heat.

Do not leave a car to search for help unless help is visible within 100 yards. You may lose your way in blizzard conditions.

If you’ve suffered a serious personal injury in New Jersey due to someone else’s negligence, contact an experienced Hackensack personal injury lawyer at the law firm of Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Hasson, P.C.