WOODBRIDGE – A 19-year-old New York man died Monday after his vehicle collided with a tractor-trailer parked on the shoulder of Route 440.
According to the New Jersey State Police, the crash occurred at 12:24 p.m. on the northbound highway at milepost 1.4 in Woodbridge.
A preliminary investigation indicates a Freightliner pulling a utility trailer was parked on the right shoulder of Route 440 when a Honda Accord driven by Joey Lopez, of Staten Island, was traveling north, entered the right shoulder and struck the rear of the Freightliner causing both vehicles to catch fire, State Police said.
Lopez suffered fatal injuries in the crash, State Police said.
The driver of the Freightliner suffered minor injuries.
The right two lanes of Route 440 northbound were closed for about three hours.
The crash remains under investigation.