Tag:

Rockland County, NY

She's Leaving Home: End Of Marriage Triggers Uneventful Mahwah 'Standoff' She's Leaving Home: End Of Marriage Triggers Uneventful Mahwah 'Standoff'
She's Leaving Home: End Of Marriage Triggers Uneventful Mahwah 'Standoff' A SWAT team and other tactical units responded to a Mahwah home Tuesday afternoon after a resident expressed concern over suicidal comments she told police her husband had made, authorities confirmed. Fortunately, they weren't needed. The woman went to police headquarters early Tuesday afternoon, April 23, concerned over her husband's response when she said she was leaving him, responders said. A quick check determined that there are weapons in the home in the northeast section known as Cragmere near the Rockland County border. Out of "an overabundance of caution," Mahwah Police Chief Tim…
Philly Trio Admits $1.6M Worth Of Thefts From 55 UPS Locations Across NJ, NY, PA, Beyond Philly Trio Admits $1.6M Worth Of Thefts From 55 UPS Locations Across NJ, NY, PA, Beyond
Philly Trio Admits $1.6M Worth Of Thefts From 55 UPS Locations Across NJ, NY, PA, Beyond UPDATE: Three young Philadelphia men admitted burglarizing 55 UPS warehouses across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and beyond, netting more than $1.6 million worth of electronics. Sekou Fofanah, 20, Shamaire Brown, 19, and Quamaire Brown, 19, each pleaded guilty in federal court in Camden to conspiracy to commit cargo theft, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. All three and a fourth man, Aboudramane Karamoko, had been arrested and released at one time or other since the burglaries began nearly four years ago, records show. The most recent was last past April, when po…
Thief Who Stole $1.5M Worth Of Luxury Cars In NJ, Rockland, Long Island, CT Gets 3½ Years Thief Who Stole $1.5M Worth Of Luxury Cars In NJ, Rockland, Long Island, CT Gets 3½ Years
Thief Who Stole $1.5M Worth Of Luxury Cars In NJ, Rockland, Long Island, CT Gets 3½ Years 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: The last of four men who admitted stealing more than $1.5 million worth of luxury cars in New Jersey, Rockland County, Long Island and Connecticut was sentenced to nearly 3½ years in federal prison. Malik Baker, 30, of Vauxhall, and his three co-conspirators stashed at least 10 of the vehicles at a central location in Irvington, NJ, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip Sellinger said. The Essex County-based quartet often used one stolen vehicle to swipe another, he added. In one instance, Sellinger said, the crew swiped a Maserati GranTurismo at the Jersey Shore in Manalapan an…
NEW DETAILS: Missing NJ State Park Hiker Found In Rockland, Thanks To Facebook, Ring NEW DETAILS: Missing NJ State Park Hiker Found In Rockland, Thanks To Facebook, Ring
NEW Details: Missing NJ State Park Hiker Found In Rockland, Thanks To Facebook, Ring 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 63-year-old hiker from Wayne who'd gone missing in Ringwood State Park was found a few miles away the next day across the state line in Rockland County, authorities said. Police say they can thank Ring and Facebook. Carol Fumiko Heimbach was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern after she was located in Sloatsburg around 1:30 p.m. Monday, March 4, said Caryn Shinske, the senior press officer for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. She was none the worse for wear, although still a bit disoriented from a night in the woods, responders said. Heimback, who r…
Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds
Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A onetime insurance broker from Rockland County who ran a nationwide network of nearly 100 nursing homes into the ground from an office over a Bergen County pizzeria admitted that he purposely shorted the IRS nearly $39M, federal authorities said. Joseph Schwartz, 64, of Suffern, owned Skyline Management Group, which was based in the Wood-Ridge and amassed 95 nursing homes across 11 states. These once included Hudson View Care & Rehab Center in North Bergen, Brookhaven Health Care Center in East Orange and the Voorhees Care & Rehabilitation Center. Over a period of only sev…
NJ Woman Wanted For Threatening PA Animal Rescue Busted By Local Police In Eviction Clash NJ Woman Wanted For Threatening PA Animal Rescue Busted By Local Police In Eviction Clash
NJ Woman Wanted For Threatening PA Animal Rescue Busted By Local Police In Eviction Clash A troubled Bergen County woman wanted in Pennsylvania for harassing and threatening an animal rescue there was arrested by River Vale police during an eviction. Catherine DeLucia, 56, “was uncooperative and refused to comply” with Bergen County sheriff's officers and local police trying to remove her from the Collignon Way home, River Vale Lt. Joshua Wisse said on Friday, Nov. 17. A computer check found that DeLucia was wanted out of Snyder County, PA, on charges of making terroristic threats and repeated anonymous harassment. DeLucia has had an ongoing battle with an animal rescue that s…
Jersey Shore Business Owner From NY Admits $127M Health Care Kickback Scheme: Feds Jersey Shore Business Owner From NY Admits $127M Health Care Kickback Scheme: Feds
Jersey Shore Business Owner From NY Admits $127M Health Care Kickback Scheme: Feds A New Jersey marketing company owner from Rockland County admitted in federal court that he was a major figure in scamming Medicare, TRICARE and other benefit programs out of $127 million. Eric Karlewicz, 44, of Chestnut Ridge, NY, participated in a “circular scheme of kickbacks and bribes” with doctors, durable medical equipment businesses and telemedicine companies to pull off the massive con, U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna said. Karlewicz – also known as Anthony Mazza -- used his considerable cut from $63.8 million in payoffs to buy himself a fleet of luxury vehicles that included a Ferrari,…
NY Dental Hygienist Who Traveled To NY To Meet Child For Sex Could Be Freed Next Summer NY Dental Hygienist Who Traveled To NY To Meet Child For Sex Could Be Freed Next Summer
NY Dental Hygienist Who Traveled To NY To Meet Child For Sex Could Be Freed Next Summer UPDATE: A dental hygienist who was arrested in Bergen County after coming from Rockland to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl was sent to state prison for what could be less than a year. Dariush Ghamarnezhad, 42, of Pomona was among 16 men from Bergen, Passaic, Rockland and Westchester counties who were busted by authorities during a five-day 2019 sting operation dubbed “Operation Home Alone." Various law enforcement agencies united to nab men who they said tried to lure youngsters into sex through social media. Just about all of them were arrested when they showed up at a residen…
NJ Broker Loses Registration, Fined $150G For Going Rogue With Hudson Valley Tequila Startup NJ Broker Loses Registration, Fined $150G For Going Rogue With Hudson Valley Tequila Startup
NJ Broker Loses Registration, Fined $150G For Going Rogue With Hudson Valley Tequila Startup A former New Jersey broker-dealer agent from Rockland County had his registration revoked and was fined $150,000 for steering clients to a Hudson Valley tequila startup whose founder went to federal prison. Michael W. Mandel of Suffern sold the securities in the form of ownership interests in "6 Degree Tequila" via unauthorized private transactions, state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.  Records show Mandel was working at the time as an agent and investment adviser representative for two New Jersey broker-dealers -- Royal Alliance Associates in Old Tappan and, later, LPL Fina…
Rockland Woman, Son Sold $4M Worth Of Smuggled, Misbranded Animal Drugs, Pesticides: Feds Rockland Woman, Son Sold $4M Worth Of Smuggled, Misbranded Animal Drugs, Pesticides: Feds
Rockland Woman, Son Sold $4M Worth Of Smuggled, Misbranded Animal Drugs, Pesticides: Feds A 70-year-old Rockland County, NY grandmother and her son illegally sold $4 million worth of misbranded, unregistered, and unapproved animal drugs and pesticides smuggled into the U.S. from China, federal authorities charged. Bien King of Congers and Khalil King, 36, of New York City operate a pet supply company in the Bronx called “Little City Dogs,” which caters to customers who want to avoid the cost of local veterinary clinics and treat their dogs' and cats' common ailments themselves. Both have been in a years-long battle with the government over their practice of formulating de-wormin…
Mastermind Of 84 Brazen Burglaries In Nine NJ Counties, Rockland Gets Plea-Bargained 14 Years Mastermind Of 84 Brazen Burglaries In Nine NJ Counties, Rockland Gets Plea-Bargained 14 Years
Mastermind Of 84 Brazen Burglaries In Nine NJ Counties, Rockland Gets Plea-Bargained 14 Years UPDATE: A Teaneck ex-con was sentenced to 14 years in state prison for leading a band of brazen burglars who authorities said committed no fewer than 84 broad-daylight home break-ins throughout New Jersey and Rockland County. Keith Perry, 39, took a deal from prosecutors rather than risk the consequences of a trial, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said on Tuesday, March 14. Perry was among several people arrested in April 2021 for dozens of burglaries committed over the previous six months in nine New Jersey counties — Morris, Bergen, Essex, Somerset, Hunterdon, Union, Passai…
Remains Found At Base Of Palisades Believed To Be Those Of Spring Jumper From Alaska Remains Found At Base Of Palisades Believed To Be Those Of Spring Jumper From Alaska
Remains Found At Base Of Palisades Believed To Be Those Of Spring Jumper From Alaska Severely decomposed remains found at the foot of the Palisades apparently are those of an Alaskan man whose van was left with a suicide note at the top of the cliffs more than eight months ago, authorities said. A passerby notified Palisades Interstate Parkway police after finding the skull in a wooded area at the base of the cliffs around 10 a.m. Dec. 22, PIP Police Lt. Raymond E. Walter said. The Bergen County Medical Examiner's Office must make the official determination, but authorities are certain the remains are those of Glenn Filbert, 62, of Seward, an Alaskan port city 4,500 miles …
Mahwah Woman, 70, Found Dead At Konica Minolta HQ: No Foul Play Suspected Mahwah Woman, 70, Found Dead At Konica Minolta HQ: No Foul Play Suspected
Mahwah Woman, 70, Found Dead At Konica Minolta HQ: No Foul Play Suspected A woman found dead at Konica Minolta's headquarters in Bergen County on Wednesday apparently was stricken by a heart attack, responders said. The 70-year-old employee from Mahwah, who worked in the Marketing Department, is believed to have entered a bathroom at the corporate building on Williams Drive off northbound Route 17 near the Rockland County line around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20. Her body was found the next morning, responders said. The Bergen County Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification was summoned to gather evidence and the county Medical Examiner to collect the body. The co…
Middlesex County Man Wanted For Gas Station Armed Robbery Chased Down By NY State Troopers Middlesex County Man Wanted For Gas Station Armed Robbery Chased Down By NY State Troopers
Middlesex County Man Wanted For Gas Station Armed Robbery Chased Down By NY State Troopers A New Jersey man wanted for robbing a gas station convenience store in Fort Lee was captured in New York State following a pursuit that began on the Tappan Zee Bridge. Shahzad A. Khan, 41, of Carteret had just held up a Rockland County mini-mart when New York State Police tried to stop his southbound 2014 Chevy Equinox on the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge over the Hudson River shortly after 9:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, authorities said. Khan exited onto the Sprain Brook Parkway -- and directly into a moving roadblock, State Police said. What wasn’t known at the time, authorities said, was that…
Girl, 4, Falls Through Ice, Found Floating Face Down In NJ Pond Girl, 4, Falls Through Ice, Found Floating Face Down In NJ Pond
Girl, 4, Falls Through Ice, Found Floating Face Down In NJ Pond A 4-year-old girl was rescued by a family member after she fell through the ice on a Mahwah pond, responders said. The child was floating face down when a man believed to be her uncle jumped in and pulled her from the water on Anderson Drive in the Stag Hill section of town less than a quarter-mile from the Rockland County border shortly after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23,they said. CPR was immediately conducted as the first responders arrived. The girl was reportedly alert and breathing when she was taken to The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. NOTE: Daily Voice hopes to identify -- and pos…
Vehicular Homicide: Motorist Charged In 2021 Hit-Run That Killed Driver, 77, On GSP Vehicular Homicide: Motorist Charged In 2021 Hit-Run That Killed Driver, 77, On GSP
Vehicular Homicide: Motorist Charged In 2021 Hit-Run That Killed Driver, 77, On GSP UPDATE: New Jersey State Police have arrested a Rockland County man who they said was responsible for a hit-and-run crash that killed a 77-year-old motorist on the Garden State Parkway a year and a half ago. Christopher Forrest, 26, was charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in the death of Dutchess County, NY, resident Howard Perlman on June 17, 2021, according to records obtained by Daily Voice. Forrest, of Spring Valley, was recklessly driving a BMW that clipped Perlman's Toyota Venza in the area of milepost 172.3 in Montvale shortly after 7 p.m., Stat…
UPDATE: Investigation Into NJ Man Recorded Urinating On Ex-Wife's Grave Announced UPDATE: Investigation Into NJ Man Recorded Urinating On Ex-Wife's Grave Announced
Update: Investigation Into NJ Man Recorded Urinating On Ex-Wife's Grave Announced HERE'S THE LATEST: A Bergen County man who was recorded urinating on his ex-wife's grave received a summons and is being investigated further, police in Rockland County confirmed on Monday, Sept. 26. Daily Voice broke the story Friday about the secret recording made of Dean Eichler, 68, desecrating the grave of Bergen County native Linda Torello. Torello's son, Michael Andrew Murphy of Dumont, watched from a hiding place as his cellphone recorded the incident. Murphy and his sister, Renee Eichler Barragan, said it's been going on for months. And not just that, either -- he's also left bag…
Family Of NJ Grandmother Anguished Over Man Recorded Urinating On Her Grave Family Of NJ Grandmother Anguished Over Man Recorded Urinating On Her Grave
Family Of NJ Grandmother Anguished Over Man Recorded Urinating On Her Grave For months now, a Bergen County man has routinely visited a cemetery just across the New York state line and urinated on the grave of a woman he was briefly married to nearly 50 years ago, her survivors say. They have proof. Video secretly recorded by the late Linda Torello’s son shows a man identified as Dean Eichler, 68, of Bergenfield pulling into the Tappan Reformed Church Cemetery off Old Tappan Road in an SUV. The vehicle is left running as he approaches Torello’s grave while unzipping his fly. He looks around, then does his business. Then he ambles back to the SUV. Not only did …
GOTCHA! Newark Fugitive Wanted In Carjacking Of Rockland Driver In Clifton Captured In Asbury GOTCHA! Newark Fugitive Wanted In Carjacking Of Rockland Driver In Clifton Captured In Asbury
Gotcha! Newark Fugitive Wanted In Carjacking Of Rockland Driver In Clifton Captured In Asbury A Newark man accused of carjacking a Rockland County driver in Clifton was ordered held by a judge after he was captured on the beach in Asbury Park, authorities said. The 27-year-old victim from Pearl River, NY, was hospitalized after being assaulted outside a medical building on Broad Street just off eastbound Route 3 the night of Aug. 20, they said. Detectives from Clifton obtained an arrest warrant for by Zahir Christmas, 37, who was captured at the Fourth Avenue beach in Asbury shortly before dawn on Aug. 28, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Clifton Police Chief Thomas R…
Children Critical, NJ Drivers Hospitalized In Wrong-Way NY Crash Children Critical, NJ Drivers Hospitalized In Wrong-Way NY Crash
Children Critical, NJ Drivers Hospitalized In Wrong-Way NY Crash A wrong-way, three-vehicle crash in New York sent multiple people to the hospital, including two drivers from New Jersey. Police responded to a crash in Rockland County at the intersection of Route 303 and Greenbush Road in Blauvelt at about 12:40 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, according to the Orangetown Police Department. A 2001 BMW X5, driven by 20-year-old Thomas Robb, was southbound, traveling the wrong way on a one-way section of Greenbush Road, and entered the intersection at Route 303, striking a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze driven by a 32-year-old woman from Newark. The Chevrolet then collide…
CHILLING: Children In Separate NJ Homes Come Face-To-Face With Brazen Car Thieves CHILLING: Children In Separate NJ Homes Come Face-To-Face With Brazen Car Thieves
Chilling: Children In Separate NJ Homes Come Face-To-Face With Brazen Car Thieves It can give you chills: Children from two separate homes in Old Tappan came into contact with brazen thieves trying to steal their parents’ cars, authorities said. A bandit tried taking a Range Rover from the driveway of one home while two young girls played in front of it, Police Chief Joseph Tracy said. Hours later, a thief in a black ski mask and hoodie entered an open garage door to steal a Mercedes Benz but bolted after he was confronted by the residents’ 12-year-old son. Although both attempts failed, a third succeeded when a 2022 BMW that had been left unlocked with the key fob insi…
UPDATE: Alaska Man Who Authorities Believe Jumped From Palisades Left Note UPDATE: Alaska Man Who Authorities Believe Jumped From Palisades Left Note
Update: Alaska Man Who Authorities Believe Jumped From Palisades Left Note An Alaska man who was believed to have jumped from the Palisades above the Hudson River left a suicide note, authorities said, as the search for his body continued. Palisades Interstate Parkway police had found a white 2017 Dodge van at the Alpine Lookout near the Rockland County border shortly before 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Detective Sgt. First Class Raymond E. Walter said. It apparently was parked there on Tuesday, he said. Inside was a note referencing suicide, the sergeant said. Police spoke with the son of the 62-year-old driver from Seward, AK, Walter said on Thursday, March 3. He to…
Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years
Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years A dealer who produced lethal opioids in a fortified basement drug mill across the street from the mayor of Paterson's house was sentenced to 10 years in state prison, authorities said. Silk City police had seized 17,000 folds of heroin and fentanyl -- as well as packaging and distribution materials -- while arresting Rafael “Chiquito” Brito and his girlfriend, Rosanny Prado, during a March 2020 raid on their East 36th Street residence across from Mayor Andre Sayegh's home. The drugs were linked to at least 10 overdose deaths of both local and suburban buyers, authorities said at the time. …
GOTCHA! NJ Fugitive Wanted For Sex Trafficking Captured At Newark Airport GOTCHA! NJ Fugitive Wanted For Sex Trafficking Captured At Newark Airport
Gotcha! NJ Fugitive Wanted For Sex Trafficking Captured At Newark Airport A fugitive from Bergen County wanted for running a massive sex-trafficking ring in North Jersey, Rockland and New York City was captured trying to re-enter the United States from Colombia, authorities confirmed. Birmania “Nancy” Rincon, 62, a Colombian national living in Teaneck, was among the ringleaders of a crew that forced dozens of women into prostitution, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. She was in the wind, however, when authorities seized 21 defendants during a series of early-morning raids at 19 homes and other locations in Bergen and Hudson counties exactly two weeks ag…
5 Surprising Facts About Rutgers Grad Sebastian Stan Starring In 'Pam & Tommy' 5 Surprising Facts About Rutgers Grad Sebastian Stan Starring In 'Pam & Tommy'
5 Surprising Facts About Rutgers Grad Sebastian Stan Starring In 'Pam & Tommy' Tattoos, a black wig, and a prosthetic penis. Sebastian Stan is nearly unrecognizable in his role as Tommy Lee in Hulu's new hit mini-series "Pam & Tommy," streaming now. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sebastian Stan (@imsebastianstan) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sebastian Stan (@imsebastianstan) Whether you know him from the Marvel movies or Gossip Girl, what you might not have known about 39-year-old Stan is that he has New Jersey ties. Here are five more f…
HERO: NJ Police Officer Rescues Unresponsive Driver From Fiery Wreck HERO: NJ Police Officer Rescues Unresponsive Driver From Fiery Wreck
Hero: NJ Police Officer Rescues Unresponsive Driver From Fiery Wreck An Upper Saddle River police officer responding to a crash dragged an unconscious Rockland County driver to safety moments before the man's minivan went up in flames. The minivan had slammed into a utility pole, splitting it at the base, on East Saddle River Road south of Lake Street just after midnight Thursday, Capt. Edward Kane said. The engine block was already starting to cook when Officer Tim Erstling arrived, Kane said. Erstling immediately pulled the 29-year-old Pomona, NY driver out and away from the minivan, the captain said. "Minutes later, the vehicle was fully engulfed," he s…
Overnight Fire Severely Damages North Jersey Home Overnight Fire Severely Damages North Jersey Home
Overnight Fire Severely Damages North Jersey Home Flames blew through the roof of a Norwood home near the Rockland County border. Firefighters battled extreme cold and slippery conditions to douse the upper-floor bedroom blaze, which broke out on Broadway just off Piermont Road around 2 a.m. Sunday. No serious injuries were immediately reported. Mutual aid responders either at the scene or in coverage included firefighters from Harrington Park, Closter, Demarest, Northvale and Old Tappan. Firefighters battled extreme cold and icy conditions in the overnight Norwood blaze.Closter FD
Former Rockland Owner Of Failed Nursing Homes In NJ, 11 Other States Charged In $39M Tax Dodge Former Rockland Owner Of Failed Nursing Homes In NJ, 11 Other States Charged In $39M Tax Dodge
Former Rockland Owner Of Failed Nursing Homes In NJ, 11 Other States Charged In $39M Tax Dodge An insurance broker from Rockland County who ran a failed nationwide network of nearly 100 nursing homes from an office over a Bergen County pizzeria ducked nearly $39 million in payroll taxes, a federal indictment unsealed on Monday alleges. Joseph Schwartz, 62, was arrested at his Suffern home last Thursday. A federal judge in Newark released him to home confinement hours later, with conditions, pending trial. Then came the unsealing announcement on Monday, also out of Newark. Schwartz’s Skyline Healthcare LLC amassed 95 nursing homes in 11 states nationwide in less than two years – incl…
Tufts Lacrosse Player From Hudson Valley Dies In Hot Dog Eating Contest Tufts Lacrosse Player From Hudson Valley Dies In Hot Dog Eating Contest
Tufts Lacrosse Player From Hudson Valley Dies In Hot Dog Eating Contest A college student from the Hudson Valley has died from injuries in a hot dog eating contest on Saturday, Oct. 16. Rockland County resident Madie Nicpon, a 2019 graduate of Suffern High School, was a junior at Tufts University in Massachusetts.  She fell unconscious during an off-campus charity fundraiser and died at a Boston hospital the following day, WCVB, ABC 5 in Boston reports. Nicpon was a biopsychology major and a member of the college's women’s lacrosse team. News of the tragedy was shared with the university community in a statement signed by Tufts' president, dean of studen…
MURDER IN MAHWAH: Laborer Extradited, Booked Into Bergen County Jail MURDER IN MAHWAH: Laborer Extradited, Booked Into Bergen County Jail
Murder IN Mahwah: Laborer Extradited, Booked Into Bergen County Jail UPDATE: A gas station worker accused of shooting his Mahwah roommate dead in their rented home near the New York State border this summer was extradited to New Jersey this week to face murder charges. Milan Ghimire, a 23-year-old Nepali national, is accused of shooting and killing station co-worker Phu Tsewang, 56, in the West Mahwah residence the night of July 12. Both were among several residents who rented the 1,760-square-foot home in a residential neighborhood between Route 202 and Route 17 within walking distance of work. Township police called to the Avenue A home by another re…
Massive Route 287 Tanker Truck Explosion Kills Driver, NJSP Confirms Massive Route 287 Tanker Truck Explosion Kills Driver, NJSP Confirms
Massive Route 287 Tanker Truck Explosion Kills Driver, Njsp Confirms UPDATE: A 59-year-old gasoline tanker driver from Paterson was killed in a massive fireball during a crash on Route 287 near the New York State border in Mahwah early Saturday, New Jersey State Police confirmed. A series of explosions were heard after the rig rolled and burst into flames on a notorious stretch of the southbound highway near Route 17 and the New York State Thruway at 6:47 a.m., NJSP Sgt. Alejandro Goez said. Firefighters used foam to douse the blaze while also extinguishing flames that extended into the woods along the mountain. Thick, black smoke could be seen for miles. …