New Jersey Turnpike reopens after 15-car pileup

The New Jersey Turnpike southbound was shut down for more than 12 hours after a major traffic accident that left one person dead and several injured. 

Southbound truck lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike have reopened nearly 12 hours after a pileup involving 15 or more vehicles including tractor-trailers and a bus left at least one person dead and several others injured.

New Jersey State Police spokesman Sgt. Jeff Flynn says state troopers will have more to say later Tuesday.

The accident occurred just before 9:15 p.m. Monday during a mix of rain and snow flurries and below-freezing temperatures in Cranbury.

State Police say the vehicles involved in the crash include several cars, four tractor-trailers, two box trucks and a fully loaded bus. At approximately 9:11 p.m., the New Jersey State Police responded to a multi-vehicle crash on the New Jersey Turnpike at milepost 71.3 in the southbound lanes, according to the State Police’s Facebook page, reports Patch.com.

State police say many people were injured.

Southbound lanes were closed between exits 8 and 9, and traffic was being diverted off the highway. Northbound lanes reopened to traffic before 11 p.m.

The crash is under investigation. a Twitter user who photographed the scene said the roads were a "skating rink" between exits 8 and 8a.

The agency that manages the turnpike says a tractor-trailer jackknifed on the roadway near a service area.

Southbound car lanes reopened earlier.