Tragic news out of New Jersey this week. 33-year-old truck driver Christopher R. Stiff was killed when he come to a sudden stop, which caused his load to shift forward into the cab of the truck.
According to the Hopewell Valley News, the accident occurred on Tuesday morning at the intersection of southbound Route 31 and West Delaware Avenue in Pennington.
Pennington Police Department Sgt. 1st Class Steve Friedman told the Hopewell Valley News that approximately 7:46 a.m., Pennington Borough Police Officer Daryl Burroughs was monitoring the school crossing at the intersection of S.H. 31 and West Delaware Avenue when he watched the truck, loaded with steel beams, come to a sudden stop at the traffic light.
”The tractor came to a sudden stop, causing the load of steel beams, believed to weigh approximately 40,000 pounds, to shift forward on the flatbed. The beams then continued forward, penetrating the cab of the tractor, striking and killing the driver. Mr. Stiff was able to stop his tractor before making contact with the vehicle in front of him. No other vehicles were damaged and nobody else was injured,” Friedman told the Hopewell Valley News.
Investigators are investigating the crash and trying to determine whether or not the steel beams were properly strapped down.
Rest in peace, driver.