A tractor-trailer crashed into the concrete median barrier on Interstate 280 in Newark, New Jersey, on Wednesday afternoon, October 28, leaving the front of the truck partially hanging over the roadway below, sending several people to area hospitals and snarling the evening commute in both directions.

Source: American Truck Drivers (ATruckDrivers.com)

The crash happened just before 3 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of I-280 near mile marker 13.1, west of Exit 13 for Orange Street and First Street in Newark. Images from the scene showed the truck's cab extending over the concrete barrier, with debris scattered across the roadway, according to reports from the scene.

Firefighters, rescue crews and a hazmat response

Firefighters, rescue personnel and hazardous materials teams all responded to the crash. Hazmat crews dealt with a fuel leak from the truck's saddle tank, and initial reports said the leaking fuel had not reached nearby storm drains — an important early check, because diesel reaching a drain can spread contamination well beyond the crash site.

Authorities also requested specialised rescue equipment and a heavy-duty tow truck for the recovery, a sign of how difficult it was to move a tractor-trailer that had come to rest partly over the barrier rather than simply towing it from a lane.

Several people taken to hospital, injuries not yet confirmed

Emergency reports indicated that several people were taken to area hospitals. Other drivers were involved in the crash as well, but the extent of their injuries had not been confirmed in the reports available on Wednesday evening, and officials had not released the identities of anyone involved.

Source: CBS News New York, Chopper 2

Hours of closures, and delays long into the evening

Three of the five left lanes on eastbound I-280 and two of the five left lanes on westbound I-280 were closed for hours. Congestion built up in both directions and spilled onto surrounding Newark streets, and motorists were advised to avoid the area during the evening commute.

The state's traffic feed was still listing delays on I-280 in the early evening: delays eastbound from west of Exit 9, Pleasant Avenue, to west of Exit 13, and westbound from west of the Kearny area to Exit 13, where it said all lanes were open — a sign the westbound side was recovering first while eastbound drivers still faced a slow approach to the crash site.

Why this corridor matters — including for Punjabi truckers and families

I-280 is one of the main east-west interstate corridors through Essex County and Newark, carrying commuters and heavy freight traffic across North Jersey between the Parsippany side and the New Jersey Turnpike corridor near Kearny. When a crash closes most of its left lanes in both directions in the middle of the afternoon, the delays do not stay on the interstate — they push trucks and cars onto local Newark streets, as happened on Wednesday.

That matters directly to this site's readers. New Jersey is home to a large Punjabi and wider South Asian community, and many Punjabi truck drivers run North Jersey warehouse, port and Turnpike routes that depend on corridors like I-280. A hazmat fuel leak and a truck hanging over a barrier is also the kind of scene professional drivers study closely: until investigators explain why the tractor-trailer struck the median, every account of this crash has to stop at what officials have actually said.

What happens next

The circumstances that led to the crash remain unclear, and no cause had been released as of Wednesday evening. The next confirmed updates to watch for are the condition of the people taken to hospital, the full reopening of the eastbound lanes, and any official finding on why the truck hit the barrier. Awaaz Punjab will update this story only when those details come from officials or a second verified report — not from social-media speculation.