Two separate accidents on Interstate 287 in Central Jersey caused significant delays on June 17, 2016.
It was a messy morning on Interstate 287 Friday as two accidents, including one involving a truck carrying deli meat and another truck carrying bread, snarled traffic on both the northbound and southbound sides in Central Jersey.
Both accidents caused major traffic delays.
At 3:46 a.m., State Police received a report of an accident on southbound Interstate 287 involving two tractor-trailers in South Plainfield at mile post five, said Capt. Stephen Jones, a State Police spokesman. One was carrying bread while the other was hauling deli meat.
Carlos Jaramillo-Tabares, 48, of Elizabeth, was driving a 2005 Isuzu truck. David Sanfelice, 58, of Stroudsburg, Pa., was driving a 2013 Mack truck, said Jones. The crash left the roadway covered with assorted meats and bread, said Jones.
According to a report on nbcnewyork, the clean up was complete by 7:30 a.m. Traffic was snarled for several miles as all but one southbound lane was closed. One of the drivers suffered a broken arm, said Jones.
Two hours later, a much more serious accident happened on northbound Interstate 287 south of exit 14 (Route 22) that closed the roadway for several hours and left a driver in critical condition, said State Police spokesman Sgt. Gregory Williams.
At 9:20 a.m., State Police received a report of a serious accident on northbound Interstate 287. A 2008 Honda Accord driven by Milton Laing was traveling north in the right lane when he apparently attempted to merge into the left lane to exit 14 (Route 22) and was struck by a 2006 Honda Accord driven by Lamin Conteh, 60, of Somerset, who was traveling in that lane, said Williams.
Conteh was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, said Williams. He was listed in critical condition. No information about Laing was available. The accident investigation is continuing, State Police said.
The northbound lanes of Interstate 287 reopened shortly after 12:30 p.m. All northbound lanes had been closed, said Williams, with traffic detoured to Route 22. There were delays on northbound Interstate 287 to Piscataway Township in Middlesex County.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.