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Northbound Route 17 was temporarily closed near the Route 287 flyover in Mahwah just south of Rockland County near Mountainside Avenue after the 4:09 a.m. crash on Aug. 29, Police Chief Timothy O'Hara said.
"The driver told the officers that he was traveling northbound in the right lane when he felt the load shift in the trailer because of what he described as 'angled pavement' in a temporary lane due to construction in the area," the chief said.
Mahwah Police Sgt. Kevin McCombs and Officer Gino Perrelli extricated the driver by breaking the windshield, O'Hara said.
A passenger got out OK, responders said.
Both were hospitalized with injuries that weren't considered life-threatening, they said.
Nonstop crashes -- mostly involving tractor-trailers as well as trucks -- have plagued the stretch of highway for years while bringing unheeded pleas for relief from area residents and commuters.
Authorities say slick conditions from road repaving have ironically made matters even worse.
Combine that with what the locals say is unsafe 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.
Heavy-duty tow trucks were needed to remove Tuesday morning's wreckage. New Jersey State Police are investigating the cause of the crash.
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