Engelewood, NJ – Hours after a Jewish man from Queens was struck and killed by a tractor trailer as he stood on the side of the New Jersey turnpike, police are continuing an investigation in an effort to determine why the man was outside his vehicle, which was parked on the shoulder of the road.
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60 year Izhak Shvarz of Fresh Meadows was pronounced dead at the scene on the northbound side of the Turnpike in Englewood at 1:55 PM. The accident, which took place in the express lanes of the roadway at mile marker 120.4, occurred at approximately 1:14 PM and caused massive delays on the heavily traveled roadway for hours.
“The victim was partially in the right lane, outside of his vehicle a 2004 Chrysler Town and Country,” New Jersey State Trooper Jeff Flynn told VIN News.
No charges have been filed at this time, according to Flynn.
Shvarz, who carried a Florida driver’s license, was the owner of Mazal’s Auto Express in Queens, which transports vehicles for private clients throughout the east coast.
Shvarz’s body is being released by the Bergen County medical examiner at this time and is being transported to Shomrei Hadas Chapels by Chesed Shel Emes, according to Moshe Leib Vitriol, director of Kiryas Joel Public Safety who also serves as a community liaison to the Bergen County Medical Examiner’s office.
Vitriol praised Dr. Jen Schwartz of the medical examiner’s office for her prompt handling of the matter.
“They really went out of their way to release the body as soon as possible,” said Vitriol.
Nebech, BD’E. Such a terrible tragedy so close to Pesach.
Wondering, how does a eighteen wheeler just veer onto the hard shoulder just so? No ticket, no investigation, no nothing. Is this not a homicide? Gets you thinking!
Terrible tragedy anytime.