Three Killed In New Jersey As Storm Uproots Trees, Crushes Cars, Flattens Homes

A violent thunderstorm that ripped through New Jersey Thursday night, July 3, left three people dead — including a Middlesex woman, a 79-year-old man, and a 25-year-old Plainfield resident — and caused widespread destruction across Union and Somerset counties, officials said.

North Plainfield PD
Photo Credit: *North Plainfield PBA Facebook*

Cecilia Levine

07/04/2025 1:44 p.m.

Storm photos in Edison below (scroll for fatal incidents).

North Plainfield:

At around 6:30 p.m., a 44-year-old Middlesex woman was driving a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee eastbound on Greenbrook Road when she pulled over to the north side of the street, according to North Plainfield Police Chief Alan McKay.

While her vehicle was stopped, “a large tree and a large portion of the sidewalk uprooted and fell across Greenbrook Road landing on top of the victim’s vehicle,” McKay said in a press release. A second vehicle and several homes were also damaged.

Emergency responders faced live power lines and a dangerously unstable tree while attempting to reach the victim. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name has not been released. The Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office responded and is conducting an autopsy.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the North Plainfield Police Traffic Safety Division at (908) 769-2931.

Plainfield:

In neighboring Plainfield, 79-year-old Rocco Sansone of North Plainfield and 25-year-old Brian Ernesto Valladares of Plainfield were killed when a tree collapsed onto their vehicle, city officials said Friday, July 4.

Valladares was a native of El Salvador. The City of Plainfield said, “Their deaths are a heartbreaking reminder of the storm’s sudden and devastating power.”

More than 80 downed trees were reported throughout the city — many tangled in wires or blocking major roads. Several homes suffered structural damage and multiple vehicles were crushed. Power outages continue across residential neighborhoods and apartment complexes.

PSE&G has deployed restoration teams and set up a mobile command trailer at the Office of Emergency Management. The city also opened its Senior Center at 400 East Front Street for cooling, emergency supplies, and Red Cross assistance.

Plainfield Police and Fire Departments continue working alongside mutual aid from Union County, Westfield, Cranford, and the New Jersey State Police.

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