A fatal collision involving multiple vehicles shut down lanes of Route 202 in Raritan, New Jersey, on Monday, leaving one person dead and prompting a lengthy investigation. Emergency crews responded to the crash, which forced authorities to close the roadway and divert traffic away from the busy corridor as investigators began piecing together what happened.
The crash unfolded near First Avenue, just south of the Somerville Circle, in a stretch of the highway that carries heavy traffic through Somerset County. Aerial footage from over the scene showed the aftermath of the wreck, with authorities working around the vehicles as the area was cordoned off for the investigation into how the collision occurred.
According to authorities, it appeared that three cars crashed into one another in the collision. One person was killed in the wreck, and there was no immediate word on whether anyone else had been injured, leaving the full toll of the crash unclear as officials focused on the scene and worked to account for everyone involved.
The severity of the collision closed the roadway for an extended period, with police warning drivers to avoid the area and expect the route to remain shut for several hours. Traffic was diverted around the scene while crews worked to clear the wreckage and document the positions of the vehicles involved in the deadly crash.
The Somerset County Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team and the Raritan Police Department were investigating the cause of the crash. That kind of specialized reconstruction unit is typically called in for serious and fatal collisions, an indication of the gravity of the wreck on one of the county's main roadways near the Somerville Circle.
Authorities did not immediately release the identity of the person who died or say what led to the three vehicles colliding. The investigation was expected to continue as officials examined the scene, and the closure of Route 202 snarled travel through the Raritan area for much of the day while the reconstruction work went on.