WOODBRIDGE, NEW JERSEY — A Bergen County dump truck driver was killed Monday morning after his vehicle struck two tractor-trailers parked on the shoulder of the New Jersey Turnpike near the Grover Cleveland Service Area, engulfing the dump truck and one of the trailers in flames.

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The crash occurred at approximately 9:55 a.m. on March 9, 2026, on the northbound outer roadway of the New Jersey Turnpike near milepost 92.6 in Woodbridge. According to a preliminary New Jersey State Police investigation, Maximo Polanco, 34, of Ridgefield, was driving a Kenworth dump truck northbound when he approached the service area. An International tractor-trailer was parked on the right shoulder just before the service area, with a Freightliner tractor parked in front of it. Polanco's dump truck struck the rear of the International tractor-trailer, which was then pushed into the rear of the Freightliner. The impact caused the dump truck and the tractor-trailer to become fully engulfed in flames.

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Polanco suffered fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. The drivers of the International and Freightliner vehicles sustained minor injuries and were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Their identities were not released. Woodbridge firefighters from multiple fire companies responded to extinguish the blaze. The crash caused significant travel delays on the busy highway for several hours.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation by the New Jersey State Police. No additional information has been released.

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