Police Searching for Hit & Run Driver from Turnpike Accident in South Brunswick

The New Jersey State Police are searching for the driver of a white box truck that struck a

At 11:24 a.m. Monday, troopers from the NJSP Cranbury Station on the New Jersey Turnpike responded to a call for a hit and run crash. According to police, Reynoldo Torres-Pena, 18, of Philadelphia, PA suffered a flat tire near mile marker 75 and was parked on the right shoulder of the southbound inner roadway.  Torres-Pena was then struck by the white box truck as he walked to the rear of his car on the shoulder of the road. 

Torres-Pena received severe injuries from the collision, including broken legs, after he was thrown into and over his silver Honda Accord, police said.

Despite his significant injuries, Torres-Pena was able to call 911 and described the white box truck with possible New Jersey license plates, according to police.  No further description on the vehicle was available.

Trucks are not usually permitted on the inner lanes, but all traffic had been temporarily diverted to the inner roadway for maintenance on the outer lanes, police said. 

Torres-Pena was flown by NorthStar State Police medevac to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he was rushed into surgery.  The roadway was closed in both directions briefly to allow the helicopter to land on the Turnpike, police said. 

The right lane and right shoulder were closed for about two hours for accident investigation.

The NJSP is requesting help from any motorists or witnesses who may have seen the accident, or have any knowledge of the vehicle or driver that struck Torres-Pena. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the Cranbury NJSP Station at 609-860-9000 ext. 4400.