Garbage Truck Falls From NJ Overpass, Forcing Lincoln Tunnel And Port Authority Bus Terminal Closures

July 3, 2019, 5:05 p.m.

Traffic snarled around the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Port Authority suspended bus service on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

The truck that careened through the overpass onto Route 495

The truck that careened through the overpass onto Route 495

A garbage truck driver apparently lost control of his vehicle in Weehawken, NJ on Wednesday afternoon, hitting pedestrians and then plunging through the guardrails into Route 495—right by the Lincoln Tunnel. At least seven people were injured, and traffic snarled around the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Port Authority suspended bus service on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Just after 1 p.m., the truck drove off the overpass at Palisade Avenue. According to witnesses who spoke to PIX 11, "The Union City Department of Public Works truck got out of control near the post office above the highway... The garbage truck then hit at least three vehicles before driving off the ramp and landing in traffic, witnesses said."

The truck then hit a Bolt Bus on Route 495, and some passengers aboard the bus were injured.

NorthJersey.com reports, "Photos taken at the scene show a truck marked 'Department of Public Works Union City' resting on its nose, leaning against a stone wall. The back end of the truck is resting against the edge of the overpass."

Joe Shine, a freelance photographer with The Jersey Journal, told NJ.com that "he was told that the truck was on one of the streets above Route 495 when its brakes failed to work."

In additions to crowds at the Port Authority Bus Terminals and huge traffic backups near the Lincoln Tunnel, the commuting problems cascaded to Penn Station, the Holland Tunnel, and George Washington Bridge:

The Port Authority Bus Terminal has resumed some bus service. Check the Port Authority Bus Terminal's Twitter account: