Crime & Safety

Authorities Probe Cause of Fatal GWB Tractor Trailer Crash

Accident caused significant delays in the area and at the other Hudson River crossings on Thursday.

Authorities are investigating what caused a tractor trailer driver to slam into the back of another truck early Thursday morning on the upper level eastbound side of the George Washington Bridge.

Joao Daponta, 59, of North Plainfield, was killed in the crash after his truck struck the back of another tractor trailer at about 2 a.m. Thursday, according to NorthJersey.com.

The 63-year-old driver of the other truck was transported to Englewood Hospital for evaluation and later released, according to ABC New York. There were no other injuries in the accident.

The crash closed all but the right lane of the upper level eastbound side of the bridge for hours Thursday. The crash caused significant delays in the Fort Lee area and at all other Hudson River crossings. The GWB was still experiencing two-hour delays as late as 11 a.m. Thursday, according to NorthJersey.com.

The accident comes less than a week after a similar incident on the New Jersey Turnpike killed a New York man and critically injured comedian Tracy Morgan. A Georgia truck driver who had not slept for 24 hours has pleaded not guilty to death by auto charges for the wreck.


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