Motorcyclist, 41, Killed In Route 17 Crash

UPDATE: An Elmwood Park motorcyclist was killed Tuesday night in a collision with a suddenly-braking truck on Route 17 in Rochelle Park, authorities said.

Southbound Route 17 was closed just north of the crash in Rochelle Park.
Photo Credit: *DAILY VOICE*

Jerry DeMarco

03/09/2021 11:23 p.m.

"The maroon or red semi-trailer truck slowed down to a stop in the right lane of Route 17 South due to traffic ahead" around 8:40 p.m., Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Wednesday afternoon.

Mario Andres Uran Gaviria, 41, couldn't stop in time and hit the "bobtail" truck from behind in front of Allied Carpet, the prosecutor said.

Gaviria, previously of Montgomery Village, MD, was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:35 p.m., Musella said.

Southbound Route 17 was closed at Farview Avenue until midnight.

Borough police detectives and investigators from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Fatal Accident Investigations Unit reviewed surveillance video that confirmed witness accounts.

They were still trying to find the vehicle and its driver on Wednesday.

Musella asked that anyone who might have witnessed the incident, seen something or has information that can help identify the rig and/or driver contact his Fatal Accident Investigation Unit at (201) 226-5595 or Rochelle Park police at (201) 843-1515.

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