New Jersey State Police are investigating after a cinderblock was thrown off of an overpass at a semi truck, sending the driver to the hospital.
The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, near mile marker 5 on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Truck driver Dennis Gilbert told NJ.com that he saw at least two young men standing near a pickup truck located on the Penns Grove Auburn Road overpass.
Then, as Gilbert was traveling at 70 m.p.h. under the overpass, he says that he felt an impact so hard that he “thought [he] hit a parked car in the slow lane.”
Gilbert’s truck had been hit by a cinderblock, which then bounced onto a second semi truck’s windshield.
In spite of having broken glass in his eyes, Gilbert was able to safely bring his semi to a stop.
Gilbert said that the driver of the second semi truck wasn’t hurt and used his vehicle to block Gilbert’s.
Gilbert was transported to the hospital for treatment for the glass in his eyes. He was treated in a wing separated from Coronavirus patients.
In a Facebook post about the incident, Gilbert said that he believes that his “annoyingly low visor probably saved my life.”
New Jersey State Police have not yet made any arrests. It isn’t clear if the cinderblock throwing incident is related to a January 2017 incident during which a 50 pound dumbbell struck a passenger vehicle at mile marker 6.6 on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Gilbert warned other drivers to use caution when traveling in the area. He wrote, “I have had 4-5 people message me saying they have had the same experience at the same overpass. People should be aware of this.”
