Crime & Safety

UPDATE: 53-Year-Old Father Killed, Family Injured in Route 1 Accident

A van transporting a family to the airport for an overseas flight struck the back of a dump truck causing one fatality.

9 p.m.

A 53-year-old father from China, who was in the area to visit his daughter, died early this morning in a car accident on Route 1.

Chunhua Jin, of Shanghai, China, was killed when the van in which he was a passenger struck the rear of a dump truck near the intersection of Route 1 and Henderson Road. 

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At 4:02 a.m., a 2010 Honda Odyssey minivan carrying Jin and his family was headed north on Route 1 when it crashed into the rear of a 2002 Mac Truck driven by Otis G. Roberts Jr., 71, of Ewing. 

The minivan, driven by Jimmy Jung, 56, of Edison, was transporting the family from an area hotel to LaGuardia Airport, according to police. Jin, who was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle, died on impact. Jin's wife Juing Zhang, 52, his daughter Xiaoyun Jin, 21, and his grandson Yiwei Jin, 7, all from Shanghai, China, were also injured in the crash.

All three were transported by paramedics to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Xiaoyun Jin was treated and released. Juing Zhang and Yiwei Jin were admitted to the hospital in stable condition, police said. The family was in the area visiting Xiaoyun Jin, who is a Rider University student. The status of Jung, also hurt in the crash, was not immediately available.

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Roberts Jr. was uninjured in the crash. 

Rescue workers from the Monmouth Junction and Kendall Park First Aid Squads, Monmouth Junction Fire Department, paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene, police said. Part of Route 1 was closed for more than four hours causing major traffic backups during the morning rush hour. 

The accident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator Greg Morris at 732-745-3300 or Officer Frank Mongalieri at 732-329-4646.

***

7:45 a.m.

One person was killed early this morning after a motor vehicle accident on the northbound side of Route 1, near the intersection of Henderson Road.

At 4 a.m., a van transporting a family to the airport struck the rear of a dump truck. One person was killed and four others were seriously injured, said South Brunswick Police spokesman Sgt. Jim Ryan.

The family was on their way to the airport to travel overseas, according to Sgt. Ryan. No further information was immediately available.

One lane on the northbound side of Route 1 remains open as the investigation continues this morning. Heavy delays are being experienced on both sides of Route 1 in the area. Motorists are urged to plan an alternate route if possible.

This story will be updated as information becomes available.


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