By: Richard L. Smith
NJ Transit officials are investigating a fatal accident that occurred this morning when a train struck a vehicle in Morris County, leaving the driver dead.
According to authorities, the incident took place at approximately 9:27 a.m. when Montclair-Boonton Line train 1074, which had departed Hackettstown at 8:24 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Hoboken at 10:30 a.m., collided with a vehicle at the Ryerson Road crossing in Lincoln Park.
The driver, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Transit officials said no injuries were reported among the approximately 40 passengers or crew members on board the train.
While this remains an active investigation, preliminary reports indicate that the crossing gates were working as intended and were in the down position when the driver drove the vehicle around the gates and positioned the vehicle into the path of the train.
Passengers were accommodated by a bus following the incident.
The New Jersey Transit Police are leading the investigation into the cause of the collision.