2,500 Pound Steel Beam Flies Off Truck Onto Cars During Multi-Vehicle Crash

A multi-vehicle crash in New Jersey today sent a 2,500 pound steel beam flying off of a truck and crashing into two cars.

Disabled Truck Sparks Morning Crash

The crash happened during morning rush hour on Route 17 in Paramus.

From @wcbs880 #Chopper880: Flatbed truck crash closes Rt 17 both ways in #Paramus #NJ; 02.22.17 pic.twitter.com/4nDYRp7rDo

— Tom Kaminski (@TomKaminskiWCBS) February 22, 2017

The incident began when a semi hauling tiles northbound on Route 17 became disabled in the center lane. The 63 year old truck driver said that his brakes locked up when he slowed for traffic. The trucker turned on his flashers and called for assistance.

Meanwhile, a 50 year old trucker hauling steel beams north on Route 17 moved from the right lane into the center lane to allow a car to merge. He tried to maneuver into the left lane to avoid the disabled truck but wound up crashing into it and the median.

During the crash, the load of steel beams came loose and one of them went airborne and hit two cars in the southbound lanes of Route 17.

One car driver had to be extracted by rescue crews. His injuries are serious but he is expected to survive. The other car driver complained of pain in his chest and back.

There were no other injuries reported

Route 17 was closed down for hours in both directions while the crash was cleared, causing serious traffic backups.

The crash is still under investigation.

Multi-Vehicle Truck Crash: Route 17 Closed, Then Partially Reopened In Paramus, New Jersey https://t.co/lqYmOmpIJ3 pic.twitter.com/iG7z5qzwZH

— Tom Davis (@NJShorePatch) February 22, 2017

Sources:
NBC Philadelphia
CBS New York
North Jersey