Fatal wrong-way crash on Route 55 crashes prompt questions about possible safety improvements
MANTUA TWP., N.J. (WPVI) -- A recent series of crashes along Route 55 in Gloucester County, including two wrong-way collisions in recent years, has prompted some drivers and a state lawmaker to question whether safety improvements are needed on the highway.
State police said a wrong-way crash on Route 55 in Mantua Township on Monday night killed 24-year-old Favian Cruz of Bridgeton, N.J. According to authorities, Cruz was driving a Ram pickup truck the wrong way in the southbound lanes when he collided head-on with a tractor-trailer.
Cruz was pronounced dead at the scene. The tractor-trailer driver suffered minor injuries.
The crash occurred along the same stretch of Route 55 where, according to state police, a wrong-way driver traveling in the northbound lanes crashed head-on into another vehicle in September 2024, killing both drivers.
Earlier Monday, a tractor-trailer overturned in Glassboro, resulting in one injury and a diesel fuel leak.
On July 5, two women were killed when the vehicle they were in crashed into a tree in Deptford.
Some motorists described Route 55 as a typical busy highway, while others expressed concerns about speeding and roadway conditions.
"The people running up and down the road, I don't understand it," said Darren Horne of Glassboro.
"It's a fast highway. It's two lanes. I think people sometimes get carried away," said CJ Carter of Clayton.
"I do think it's a matter of personal responsibility. What I have noticed over the past couple of years - the speed limit means nothing," said Tom Monzo of Pitman.
Kara Gratton of Minnesota, who is originally from Media, Pennsylvania, said, "I do think lighting or guardrails would be an improvement to it and make it safer."
Route 55 has a speed limit of 65 mph for most of its length, including through Mantua Township.
Assemblyman Bill Moen, a member of the Assembly Transportation Committee representing New Jersey's 5th District, said the number of fatal crashes on the highway raises concerns.
"Over the course of the last four years, from my count, at least ten fatalities on Route 55 alone," Moen said.
Moen said his office is drafting a letter to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, particularly in light of the two wrong-way crashes, to discuss whether additional safety measures should be considered.
"I think it does bring the question of whether we could be doing better as it relates to signage or lighting or things that would ultimately be responsible for individuals that might not be familiar with the area," Moen said.
The circumstances of Monday night's fatal crash remain under investigation. Route 55 includes stretches both with and without guardrails.
A request for comment was sent to the New Jersey Department of Transportation. A response had not been received as of publication.
