EDISON – Police in Edison are investigating a rush hour collision that occurred this evening between a tractor trailer and a minivan on Route 1 caused a chain-reaction crash of six other vehicles, injuring at least five people, township police said.
According to police, the crash occurred at around 5:20 p.m. on Route 1 South near Prince Street, forcing Edison police to shutdown all six lanes of the busy highway in both directions and divert traffic through nearby Metuchen.
Police say five people, including two children, were rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. The most seriously injured was a female motorist who sustain “potentially life threatening injuries.
Edison firefighters cut apart five badly damaged cars to free drivers and passengers who were trapped, said fire Capt. Andy Toth. “Many of the people removed from those vehicles sustained cuts, scrapes and complained of legs, back and shoulder pain,” Toth said.
Middlesex County HAZMAT, Prosecutor’s Office investigators and state Transportation Department emergency crews responded to the accident scene to assist Edison police and firefighters.