By: Richard L. Smith
New Jersey State Police are actively probing the circumstances behind a fatal crash that occurred early Sunday morning, leading to the loss of a Bergen County man's life.
The incident happened at 3:47 a.m. on the northbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway, near milepost 155.7 in Clifton, Passaic County, when troopers responded to a motor vehicle accident.
According to preliminary findings, a Dodge minivan was parked across the right and shoulder in the vicinity of milepost 155.7.
Officials said it was at this point that a Dodge pick-up, traveling in the same direction, collided with the stationary minivan.
Tragically, the driver of the Dodge minivan, identified as 33-year-old Mr. Andres Valencia-Castano from Englewood, sustained fatal injuries in the collision.
Meanwhile, the driver of the Dodge pick-up, 22-year-old Joel Hernandez of Ridgefield Park, and the pick-up's passenger, 22-year-old Andrick Portillo from Elmwood Park, suffered moderate injuries and were promptly transported to a nearby hospital.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities are working diligently to ascertain the cause of the crash.