River Edge, NJ (June 26, 2026) – A sanitation worker suffered life-threatening injuries on Friday morning, June 26, after the truck he was riding on was struck by a sedan on Bogert Road near Monroe Avenue.
The wreck happened around 6:55 a.m. as the man and a co-worker were riding the back of a sanitation truck out of Clifton, according to River Edge Police. The driver of the sedan told responding officers he had fallen asleep before hitting the truck.
Witnesses said the worker was conscious but not alert following the collision. He was taken to a hospital in Hackensack for treatment of severe head injuries.
The driver, in his 20s, was issued summonses. Police said the collision was not considered criminal.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Fatal Accident Investigations Unit was notified, and forensic specialists collected evidence at the scene.
We are thinking of the injured worker and hope for his recovery.
The Dangers of Fatigued Driving in River Edge, NJ
Fatigued driving can impair a person’s reaction time, judgment, and awareness in ways similar to drunk driving, since being awake for extended periods slows the brain’s ability to process and respond to hazards on the road.
Drivers who fall asleep, even briefly, usually have no memory of the moments that led up to a crash, which can make it difficult to piece together exactly what happened in the seconds before impact. In cases like this one, a brief lapse can be enough to turn a routine morning commute into a serious or life-threatening collision for anyone in the vehicle’s path.
New Jersey does not have a specific criminal statute for drowsy driving, the way some states do for drunk driving. Still, that admission can carry real weight in a civil claim since it removes much of the dispute over how the crash happened, and New Jersey’s modified comparative negligence rule would allow those injured to recover compensation as long as he’s found 50% or less at fault.
A personal injury lawyer who reviews a fatigue-related crash typically looks at the driver’s schedule and recent activity, since evidence of how long someone had been awake can strengthen a claim beyond the admission alone.
If you have been injured in a crash in New Jersey and have questions about what to do next, our team can help. At Metro Law, we work with accident victims to help them understand their rights and walk through the legal journey.
To learn more, you can contact our team at Metro Law at (800) 469-6476 to discuss your situation with us.
