A passenger in a van that became disabled on the northbound New Jersey Turnpike was killed Sunday night after the vehicle was rear-ended in the right lane, authorities said.
Dawn Cole, 80, of East Norwich, New York, was pronounced dead after the crash, which took place shortly before 10:40 p.m. on the outer roadway near Exit 13 in Elizabeth, according to State Police.
The van was rear-ended by the front cab of a tractor-trailer that was not towing a trailer at the time of the crash, police said.
The driver of the van — a 59-year-old man from Farmingdale, New York — was hospitalized with serious injuries. The driver of the truck was not hurt.
Light rain was falling in Elizabeth at the time of the crash, according to the National Weather Service.
The crash remains under investigation, police said.