HOPE, N.J. -- Four New Jersey State Police troopers escaped serious injury when a tractor-trailer plowed into their accident scene on icy Interstate 80 in Hope.
Newscopter-7 was live over the scene.
Officials say the troopers were investigating a prior spin out in the eastbound lanes, near milemarker 12.1, when a tractor-trailer lost control just before 5:30 a.m.
The tractor-trailer skidded into another vehicle that spun out on the icy lanes.
The rig then smashed into a fire truck and two state police cruisers that had responded to the previous crash.
Four state police troopers escaped serious injury, officials believe, because the fire truck was able to block their patrol cars from taking a direct hit from the tractor trailer.
Eyewitness News is told the troopers were taken to the hospital to be checked out. Their police cruisers were totaled.
A motorist from the original spin out was also hospitalized with unknown injuries.
State Police said only the left lane eastbound was open as they investigated the crash. Authorities also had to clean up 300 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled onto the roadway.
Republished with permission of WABC-TV
