A state Transportation Department review finds a "sudden weather event" caused a flash freeze of black ice before a deadly 40-vehicle wreck on the New Jersey Turnpike.
The deadly pileup, which included a bus and tractor-trailers, occurred around 9:15 p.m. along the icy southbound lanes of the Turnpike at exit 8A in Cranbury Township.
DOT spokesman Stephen Schapiro tells NJ.com the review found no fault in road operations because crews were salting. However, the report recommends officials check new potions of a widening project to identify areas that may pose a greater risk for icing.
DOT Commissioner Jamie Fox ordered the review after state police said ice was a factor in a series of crashes in Cranbury and Bordentown on Feb. 9.
Darryl Williams of Bordentown, New Jersey died after becoming entrapped in his Toyota Corolla, state police said. Dozens of other people suffered injuries in the chain-reaction crash.
The deadly accident and a series of other crashes occurred during a mix of rain and snow flurries and below-freezing temperatures on the highway just southwest of New York City. The vehicles involved in the crash included four tractor-trailers, two box trucks and a fully loaded bus.
