Semi Truck Driver Killed in I-195 18 Wheeler Crash in Upper Freehold, NJ

December 6th, 2011 |

UPPER FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ – A semi truck driver lost control of his 18 wheeler and was killed when it jackknifed and crashed on I-195 in Upper Freehold, NJ on Thursday, December 1, 2011.

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Westbound view of Exit 11 on I-195 in Upper Freehold, NJ near the site of a semi truck accident where a big rig driver was killed on Thursday, December 1, 2011.

Upper Freehold Township is located in Monmouth County, New Jersey about 71 miles northwest of Atlantic City 49 miles southwest of Elizabeth 37 miles southwest of Edison and 18 miles southeast of Trenton.

The victim was identified as Goran Stevanovic, 43 years old, from Totowa in Passaic County, NJ.

The accident occurred around 3:20 p.m. on the westbound lanes of I-195 near mile marker 12.4, a little over a mile from Exit 11.

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Map showing location of fatal semi truck accident at mile marker 12.4 on I-195 in Upper Freehold, NJ on Thursday, December 1, 2011.

According to a witness who was driving a dump truck less than 100 yards behind Stevanovic, the low-boy trailer was wobbling back and forth just before it flipped over and took the cab with it.

An article in the Asbury Park Press website reported on the story which contained a statement from the witness:

I got there and he’s pinned, he’s bleeding, and he’s purple … He didn’t appear to be speeding when he went past me, but I did notice his low-boy trailer was wobbling a little bit, and as he got further in front of me that trailer was wobbling more and more. It went left. It went right. It went left and right and then the tires on the trailer go up about a foot or two right before the trailer went over and takes the truck with it

The semi truck was in the left lane and went off the roadway on the left. The truck went out of control, re-entered the highway and went across the westbound lanes of traffic where it crashed. In the crash, the cab separated from the trailer and the the tractor turned over on the driver’s side, pinning the driver inside.

Westbound traffic was diverted off the interstate in Jackson at Exit 16. Traffic was tied up well into the evening as a result of the accident.

It does not appear that Stevanovic was driving too fast at the time of the accident.

Truck Accident Lawyer News is a truck accident and personal injury blog that publishes up to date truck accident and truck legal news from across the United States. New Jersey, due to its high population and vast highway system, has a high incident of semi truck and 18 wheeler accidents. New Jersey metropolitan cities besides Freehold with a high incident of truck accidents and vehicle collision resulting in severe personal injuries and even death include Atlantic City, Edison, Elizabeth and Trenton to name a few. Visit our New Jersey page for more information about New Jersey truck accident lawyers.