It is not uncommon for cars to become disabled along the highway. Even a routine call for assistance from a towing company during the daytime can turn into a hazardous situation along a highway. A stranded vehicle can pose dangers to occupants of the disabled vehicle, the tow truck driver and other drivers on the roadway.

Several people sustained injuries and a 58-year-old man died in a three car crash in Barnegat, New Jersey on Sunday, September 5. A tow-truck had stopped a behind a disabled mini-van along the Garden State Parkway to provide assistance, according to New Jersey State Police Sergeant Stephen Jones. A 63-year-old East Rutherford man driving a Jeep Liberty drove onto the right shoulder of the highway. The driver attempted to re-enter the traffic lane, but instead slammed into the rear of the tow truck. The impact caused the tow truck to crash into the rear of the parked mini-van. The accident occurred at 3:47 in the afternoon.

The driver and passenger of the Jeep were trapped inside the wreck. Barnegat EMS was able to remove the two men and transport them to Southern Ocean County Hospital. The passenger was pronounced dead at the hospital from severe facial and head injuries. The driver sustained serious chest and head injuries and was transferred to Jersey Shore University medical center for treatment.

The tow truck operator and two juveniles who were seated in the back of the mini-van were hospitalized for non-life threatening injuries.

Sergeant Jones says that law enforcement does not know what caused the Jeep to initially swerve onto the shoulder. The cause of the car accident remains under investigation.

Source: NorthJersey.com, "Borough resident dies after three-car accident on the GSP, " Kimberly Redmond, 9 Sep 2010