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Yayah Bah and his daughter, Kadijatu, 14
All nine occupants of the mini-van were taken to Hackensack University Medical Center following the crash in the northbound EZ Pass lanes, barely 200 feet from the 18W toll plaza near the Izod Center, NJSP Lt. Stephen Jones said.
In critical condition with head and abdominal injuries are two girls, ages 8 and 14. Also listed as critical is a woman who sustained abdominal injuries, he said.
The family, originally from Sierra Leone, lives on 118th Street in Washington Heights, just off Morningside Avenue, records show.
Jennifer Perlis, an adjunct professor at both Mercy College and Montclair State University, shot this video and posted it on YouTube:
The mini-van driver, Yayah Bah, 45, “entered the wrong lane and tried to back up into high speed EZ Pass lanes, right into the pathway of the tanker, Jones told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
The tanker hit the concrete divider and “became fully engulfed,” the lieutenant said.
Emergency Stream PHOTO
The driver, 50-year-old Howard Kiefer of Monticello, N.Y., jumped out and later was treated for a leg injury, Jones said.
Madagbe Sannoh, 24, of Brooklyn, was listed in critical condition, along with the two girls, who both suffered head and abdominal injuries, he said. They were identified as Kadijatu Bah, 14, and her sister, Isata, 8.
The Turnpike was was reopened completely a little after 6 a.m.
Madagbe Sannoh
Delays nonetheless plagued the early morning, even though it’s Election Day.
There were plenty of fears at the outset, given that the fireball and flames that shot into the air were so close to the toll booths.
But several mutual aid companies converged on the scene, and a large fire tanker instantnly spread plenty of foam, surrounding the flames before the blaze was extinguished.
Some witnesses described the roadway as looking as if it were covered in snow.
Also on hand were fire trucks the Port Authority sent from Teterboro and Newark airports, as well as the State Police Field Accident Team.
NOTE: Various media reports have said the tanker was carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline. The largest Kenworth tankers hold about 3,000 gallons, while the largest tankers on the road of any brand hold roughly 5,000 gallons. What the NJSP correctly reported is that this tanker carried 8,500 POUNDS of fuel. A gallon is roughly 6.5 pounds, which means it was carrying 1,300 gallons of gasoline.
Dozens of emergency vehicles were gathered in some spots and scattered in others along the highway and surrounding arteries for nearly two hours after the crash. 2011 Kenworth, similar to truck involved in crash
Several already had moved out by 10:45.
The southbound lanes were eventually reopened.
But a stretch remained closed, beginning at Exit 15W in Kearny, until just before daybreak.
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