Dense Fog — Salem, New Jersey

2014-02-21 · Salem, New Jersey

Wider weather episode

The combination of a relatively moist air mass, light winds preceding a warm front and snow cover produced widespread dense fog in southern New Jersey during the morning and in northern New Jersey during the morning and afternoon of the 21st. The fog contributed to a fatal traffic three vehicle accident involving a school van in Upper Pittsgrove Township in Salem County. The three vehicles collided near the intersection of U.S. Route 40 and Burlington Road. A tractor-trailer was traveling west on U.S. Route 40 and a school van was traveling east on the road and followed by another vehicle. A fourth vehicle was also traveling east on U.S. Route 40 in front of the school van. The fourth vehicle went to make a left turn onto Burlington Road and the tractor-trailer swerved into the eastbound lane to avoid striking the vehicle and in the process collided with the school van. The school van was then rear-ended by the vehicle following it. The 58-year-old woman driver of the school van was killed. Both the tractor-trailer and the other vehicle's drivers suffered non life threatening injuries as did a 17-year-old boy on the school van. The dense fog lifted and dispersed in the southern part of the state as a warm front moved through, but the northern part of the state was foggy until a cold front moved through the state during the afternoon.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 499666. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.