Thick fog on a major NY-to-NJ parkway caused a 74 car chain-reaction collision yesterday, that, remarkably, resulted in only 16 injuries, none life-threatening.
At approximately 1130 hrs., EST, Officers from the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police responded to a report of a multi-vehicle accident, southbound on the Parkway, approximately one mile south of Exit 2, near the town of Alpine, NJ. Upon arrival, the officers discovered numerous cars involved, with several of the vehicles in the surrounding trees and at least one overturned.
The Palisades Parkway is a main route from the Bear Mountain region of New York State, down into New Jersey, and directly connects to the George Washington Bridge into NYC.
Realizing the extent of the incident, patrol officers on the scene requested all the volunteer ambulance corps from the towns that abut the Parkway. In addition, the Heavy Rescue Truck from the Closter (NJ) Volunteer Ambulance Corps was dispatched. At least two extrication's were required.
The fog, while thick, was sporadic on the Parkway. This reporter had just traveled the same route only minutes before the first accident occurred. Ironically, a clear area with no fog was just about a half a mile south of the scene.
While police and Volunteer EMS and Fire Personnel were operating at this accident, another rear end collision, chain reaction accident occurred about one mile north. Again, fog was the culprit, assisted by fast moving vehicles. This one was just north of the same Exit 2, with the same situation. Volunteer Ambulance Corps, already suffering from a lack of daytime personnel, were sent into a Mutual Aid mode. Ambulance Corps and Paramedic Units from throughout Eastern Bergen County, as well as Rockland County in New York State, were dispatched. In addition, police from the surrounding towns of Closter, Alpine, Tenafly, Englewood Cliffs and the Bergen County Police responded to both scenes, as well as to handle the massive traffic situation in the normally bucolic area.
The extent of the operation can be measured by the fact that two separate triage areas were set up to handle the injuries. A total of 74 cars were involved in the two accidents. While many of the cars involved were seriously damaged, many were "fender-bender" type of accidents, consisting of crushed grills and broken headlights.