A passenger van crashed in New Jersey when the driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, causing four deaths and eight injuries.
The black van that toppled at 1.30 a.m. on Palisades Parkway in Englewood Cliffs was transporting twelve individuals from an unidentified workplace in Upstate New York.
According to the Daily Voice, authorities suspect the motorist may have dozed off behind the wheel on Friday morning. Responders at the site said that the driver may have fallen asleep behind the wheel.
The four fatalities were claimed to have had serious head injuries, whilst the eight survivors sustained slight to severe brain injuries.
It is yet uncertain if the driver is among the deceased.
Seven ambulances, many emergency workers, and firemen were sent to the site, where they had to remove the victims from the vehicle.
As they struggled to rescue the individuals out of the vehicle, firefighters were seen with several tools and equipment strewn over the street.
One victim was evacuated to Hackensack University Medical Center, while four others were transported by ambulance. Holy Name Medical Center, Englewood Hospital, and Jersey City Medical Center treated the remaining survivors.
The collision was not cleared until 7 a.m., at which time the passenger van could be seen flipped over in the Parkway’s forested median.
When rescue attempts concluded, the vehicle’s roof was torn off and the rear windows were damaged.
Daylight photographs of the collision show the vehicle lying on its left side.
Throughout the night, a significant police presence was seen at the location, along with around a dozen police, fire, and emergency workers.