Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Belleville Police Chief Joseph Rotonda have announced that authorities are investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash Monday night on Rt. 21 in Belleville, NJ, in which two people were killed.
Authorities said the incident occurred on Rt. 21 southbound near milepost 6.4 at approximately 7;25 p.m. The Belleville Police and Fire Departments responded to the area on reports of a multi-vehicle crash.
Arriving first responders discovered that three vehicles, a tractor trailer and two passenger vehicles were involved. The tractor trailer and one of the passenger vehicles were on fire when the initial units arrived.
Authorities said two occupants of one of the passenger vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene.
The drivers of the other passenger vehicle and the tractor trailer were not injured. The Newark and Nutley Fire Departments, as well as the Newark Police Department and the New Jersey State Police also responded to the scene and assisted Belleville units.
This incident is being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Task Force and the Belleville Police Department.
The investigation is ongoing at this time, according to Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly of the Prosecutor's Homicide Unit. No charges have been filed at this time, according to Fennelly. The identification of the victims is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, according to Fennelly.