Out-of-Control Dump Truck Plows into NJ Store

Around 2 p.m. on January 18, 2024, an out-of-control dump truck crashed into a Target store on Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, New Jersey. Six people were injured.

The dump truck, loaded with dirt from a construction site, rolled down a hilly side street, and across the heavily traveled Tonnelle Ave. (also knows as U.S. Routes 1 & 9). Township spokeswoman Sofia Quintanar said the truck driver claimed the breaks failed on the steep street. 

The dump truck struck the rear of a passing tractor trailer traveling South on Tonnelle Ave., then proceeded through a fence and smashed through the store’s wall. The dump truck was completely inside of the structure. The tractor trailer did not possess any cargo.

North Hudson (NJ) Regional Fire & Rescue dispatched a Rescue Task Force assignment, which included UASI Rescue 2 and the shoring unit.

First responders evacuated the store and began to account for employees and shoppers. One person said her friend was in the restroom and hadn’t been seen. She was found by firefighters in the restroom, crouched down in a small area that was not affected by the collapse, and removed from the building. The patient sustained injuries. Crews also quickly extricated the dump truck driver.

EMS units responded to the scene from North Bergen, Union City, Weehawekn, West New York and the Jersey City Medical Center. EMS personnel at the scene reported two trauma victims, who were transported to area hospitals. 

Heavy duty wreckers pulled the dump truck out of the building and also removed the tractor trailer from the scene. The incident is under investigation.

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