Jersey City Crash Kills Three, Leaves Several Injured
Posted on: October 18, 2023
A multi-vehicle crash in Jersey City Monday killed three and injured others, one in critical condition. The accident occurred along Paterson Plank Road near Congress Street, a roadway with a long history of deadly crashes.
Jersey City Police report that a BMW sport utility vehicle crashed head-on into a Kia Amanti sedan at the intersection, crushing the smaller sedan into a wall and killing the driver. Two of three backseat passengers in the BMW were killed in the collision, and the third remains in critical condition at Jersey City Medical Center. The driver and front seat passengers suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
For many years, community members have been concerned about the deadly stretch of Paterson Plank Road – a blind curve on a hill responsible for eight deaths in seven years despite the section’s 25-mile-per-hour speed limit.
Following a 2020 safety study indicating an unusually high rate of crashes, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority’s Local Safety Program awarded Hudson County federal funding totaling more than $53 million for county-wide infrastructure improvements. The funds include a $12 million grant for Paterson Plank Road safety improvements.
The county has installed rumble strips in the middle of the roadway and across the lane ahead of the curve, along with high friction roadway surface treatments and additional traffic signs warning drivers of the blind curve and the reduced speed. Despite the modifications, three additional deaths have occurred, and advocacy groups report incomplete safety improvements on Peterson Plank Road.
In August, the county announced a Vision Zero task force to investigate new measures to prevent roadway accidents, focusing on Paterson Plank Road. The county is currently considering installing a median to prevent head-on collisions, though not all members agree and are encouraging community input.
Contact Ellis Law if you have been injured in an accident. Call us at 732-308-0200 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Located in Freehold, New Jersey, we serve clients in Asbury Park, East Brunswick, Toms River, Middletown, Jersey City, Long Branch, Neptune, Hudson County, Union County, Essex County, Monmouth County, Marlboro, and Ocean County, as well as Brooklyn and New York City.
