SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY — A distracted tractor-trailer driver struck a police patrol car on the shoulder of Route 1 in South Brunswick early Saturday morning, hitting more than 50 traffic cones and an arrow signboard before sideswiping the officer's vehicle, which had its emergency lights activated.

The crash occurred at approximately 2:40 a.m. on March 14, 2026, in a construction area on Route 1 near the Plainsboro border in Middlesex County. According to Deputy Police Chief Jim Ryan, a South Brunswick officer was parked on the shoulder working a traffic detail when the tractor-trailer, driven by a distracted driver, struck over 50 cones and an arrow signboard before clipping the patrol car and strewing debris across the road. The officer inside the vehicle was not injured.

Dash-camera footage of the crash was released by the South Brunswick Police Department, showing the split-second impact. Ryan noted that the video serves as a reminder of the dangers of distracted driving, which claimed the lives of more than 3,200 people nationwide in 2023.

The Plainsboro Police Department is investigating the crash. It was not immediately confirmed whether the truck driver is facing charges.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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