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Mahwah police, firefighters and EMS, along with a paramedic unit from The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, were among the responders to the rainy Wednesday morning mishap on the northbound highway near the New York State border shortly before 8 a.m. Oct. 5.
The Mack truck "struck the left guardrail and overturned," New Jersey State Police Sgt. First Class Lawrence Peele said. "There were no other vehicles involved."
Responders got the driver out and into an ambulance.
He "sustained moderate injuries and was transported to an area hospital in serious condition," Peele said.
Northbound Route 287 was finally reopened around noon, the sergeant said.
New Jersey State Police were at the scene and are investigating, he said.
They had to deal with two jack-knifed tractor-trailers roughly five miles apart on Tuesday (the other was down the road in Wanaque), followed by another in the same area in Mahwah later in the day.
Nonstop crashes -- mostly involving tractor-trailers as well as trucks -- have plagued that stretch of highway for years and brought unheeded pleas for relief from area residents and commuters.
Several weeks ago, another dump truck driver miraculously survived a horrific crash there.
SEE: Dog Who Fled Horrific Route 287 Dump Truck Rollover Turns Up The Next Day
Authorities say slick conditions from road repaving have ironically made matters even worse.
"The new pavement is like a skating rink with water," one responder said.
Combine that with what the locals say is unchecked speed and it adds up to a sizable amount of stress -- not to mention the risk of injury or even death -- for responders and civilians alike.
"I personally have had my truck wash out 2-3 times -- forget about hitting the brakes," one driver wrote. "Many drivers all over the state are saying the new topcoat being put down is slick, and nothing's gonna happen 'till some well known political person gets hurt and sues the state."
Boyd A. Loving took the photos and contributed to this story.
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