A major crash involving a jackknifed tractor-trailer and a box truck snarled traffic on I-80 in New Jersey for miles early Wednesday, authorities say. State Police say two people died.
According to officials, it was shortly before midnight that a Toyota SUV traveling east in the local lanes on I-80 in Hackensack hit the curbed median, entered the express lanes and impacted the tractor-trailer.
The tractor-trailer then hit the center concrete median and entered the I-80 westbound express lanes, where it collided with an Isuzu box truck. The Isuzu was flung into the local lanes and ignited into flames, State Police said.
A GMC then crashed into the tractor-trailer.
Both the driver and a passenger in the Isuzu died. Their names have not yet been released.
Two men in their 60s from Texas, one from Temple, the other from Killeen, were in the tractor-trailer and suffered serious injuries. They were taken to a hospital. The driver and passenger of the GMC sustained minor injuries.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
All lanes on I-80 eastbound and westbound express were closed for hours after the accident. Express lanes remain closed.
