New Jersey’s ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS (WABC) — On Friday morning, at least four passengers were killed when a passenger van flipped on a highway in New Jersey. At about 1:25 AM on the Palisades Parkway in Englewood Cliffs, a Ford Econoline E350 van flipped over and came to rest in the median between the southbound lanes and Exit 2.
Officials claim all twelve passengers are from New York City and returning from a Chester, Orange County facility. They were reportedly coming back from the warehouse of their employer, Party City’s subsidiary Amscan. On Target, an Inwood-based staffing service allegedly hired a group of Dominican immigrants and made them take a shuttle to the workplace. Every passenger in the van had to be rescued. Eight people were evacuated to local hospitals, and four were confirmed dead at the scene.
Earlier today, a representative stated in a statement noted that three employees of the Party City crew were killed in an accident at the company’s Chester Distribution Center. “Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims of the terrible vehicle accident. The rest of the injured team members in the accident are in our thoughts and prayers.” All four people killed have been named: driver George Massey, passengers Candida Frias, Jose Luis Romero Munoz, and Clara Estrella.
When asked by Eyewitness News about Estrella, her family stated she was in her forties and had arrived in the United States from the Dominican Republic three months earlier. Her sister, who was also in the van, is still in the hospital with four other passengers. Two more were brought to Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, while a third was transferred to Englewood Health.
Their wounds ranged in severity from severe head trauma to more moderate ones. The incident’s root cause has yet to be determined. Late Friday, Governor Phil Murphy tweeted: “This morning, a passenger van carrying four individuals flipped on the Palisades Interstate Parkway, killing all four people inside. Our hearts go out to the families of the four persons who lost their lives, and we pray for a swift recovery for the eight who were hurt.”
For more information like this, do visit lakecountyfloridanews.com