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Vinicio Acosta (left) is being held on $20,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail.
NJSP Lt. Stephen Jones said a Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Acosta rammed into a Honda Civic that had become disabled in the center lane just past Exit 63 at the Route 80 Express changeover lanes.
A witness told CLIFFVIEW PILOT that Acosta got out of the truck after the collision and was among three men who helped pull a front-lseat passenger from the Honda to safety.
Photos for CLIFFVIEWPILOT.COM by Jose Guerra (MrGuerra.com). No re-use without hyperlink. MUGSHOT: Courtesy Bergen County Sheriff’s Office.
The car was engulfed in flames, killing the driver and a backseat passenger.
Authorities hadn’t positively identified the dead passenger. The driver of the Civic was identified as Esmanuel Perez, 24, of Passaic.
The man pulled form the vehicle was identified as Juan Torres, 28, also of Passaic.
He was listed in critical condition this morning at Hackensack University Medical Center.
Acosta, meanwhile, had minor burns on his arms, Jones said.
Professional photographer Jose Guerra came upon the scene and immediately began taking shots from the other side of the road.
CLIFFVIEW PILOT had the original story shortly after 1 a.m. today: Fiery Route 80 crash in Lodi kills two
Guerra watched as Torres was pulled from the car before flames engulfed the rear.
Acosta and others at the scene were “trying to pull the driver-side door open,” Guerra told CLIFFVIEW PILOT. “After trying numerous times, they gave up and went to the passenger side and got [Torres] out.
“At that point, all we could do is watch the car burn,” he said. “It’s so sad.”
State Police diverted all traffic to the express lanes.
The local lanes remained closed late into the night while their investigators conducted an “extended operation.”Also at the scene were police, fire and other emergency workers from Lodi.
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