By: Richard L. Smith
The intersection of Route 1 and East Grand Street in Elizabeth has once again proven to be a dangerous and deadly location.
Early Monday morning, shortly before 2 a.m., this notorious intersection became the site of another tragic pedestrian strike.
Authorities from the Union County Prosecutor's Office were alerted to the incident while police and EMS were dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, emergency responders found an unidentified individual severely injured and lying in the roadway after being struck by a vehicle. The victim was quickly transported to a nearby hospital to receive treatment for life-threatening injuries.
This unfortunate incident only adds to the intersection's grim reputation.
In a report published on March 23, 2023, The Fang Law Firm had already designated this location as one of the most deadly in the country.
The report highlighted the dangers of this intersection and another nearby one, Route 1 and East Jersey Street, which has also seen its share of deadly pedestrian crashes.
The report stated the following:
“What is alarming is that two of the deadliest intersections are only four blocks apart: Spring Street (U.S. Routes 1&9) and East Jersey Street and Spring Street (U.S. Routes 1&9) and East Grand Street in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Both intersections are at the crossing of a local road (East Jersey and East Grand Streets) and a highway (US-1&9).
There were nine fatal crashes at East Jersey Street and U.S. Routes 1&9. Four blocks away, at U.S. Routes 1&9 and East Grand Street, there were seven fatal crashes, the latest in 2018.” -The Fang Law Firm (2023)
It is not clear what safety ramifications the city has put into place to rectify some of the concerns highlighted in the law firms's reports.
Click HERE to review the report.
As the investigation into Monday morning's incident develops, residents and authorities alike are left grappling with the ongoing dangers of this deadly intersection.
