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Philadelphia Tractor Trailer Driver Killed In Fiery Multi-Truck Route 78 Crash

A 45-year-old Philadelphia Freightliner driver was killed when his vehicle veered off Route 78 in Newark, NJ and struck more tractor trailers after crossing several highway lanes causing a fiery crash early Saturday, July 16, authorities said.

At the scene

At the scene

Photo Credit: Henry Paniagua

Israel Herrera Flores was heading east in the left lane of the local lanes when he struck the left metal guardrail around 6:15 a.m. at milepost 57.4, New Jersey State Police Trooper Brandi Slota said.

The Freightliner traveled east until the guardrail ended and then began crossing roadways to the left. The Freightliner traveled across curbed medians as it crossed the on-ramps from US 1 and US 9, Slota said. 

Flores' Frieghtliner then crossed the Route 78 eastbound express lanes and struck the center concrete barrier traveling up and over, Slota said. The Freightliner struck a Clover Farms Transportation tractor semi-trailer that was going westbound in the left lane of the express lanes. 

An additional three vehicles traveling westbound in the express lanes were struck by vehicle and/or roadway debris, police said. After the impact, both tractor semi-trailers subsequently caught fire. 

Flores died and the driver of the Clover Farms TT, Rigo O. Evangelista, 42, of Reading, sustained serious injuries.

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