Route 1 red light crash: Truck hits car with dad and sons in South Brunswick, NJ

SOUTH BRUNSWICK — A truck that police say blew through a red light on Route 1 was struck by a car injuring a father and his two teenage sons Wednesday night.

South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka said trucker Rusian Naumyk, 49, from New York was headed northbound when he went through the light at Route 522 and was struck by a westbound Honda Accord around 10:30 p.m.

The driver of the sedan, a 58-year-old South Brunswick man, and his two 16-year-old sons were hospitalized at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

The teens suffered serious injuries in the crash while the dad only suffered cuts and bruises. The identity of the teens and their father was not disclosed.

A football field away

Video and eyewitness accounts of the crash helped investigators determine Naumyk "made no attempt to brake prior to the collision and would have been over 450 feet away from the intersection when the light changed to red," according to Hayducka. Naumyk was charged with two counts of assault by auto.

Hayducka initiated a multi-prong program to address an increase in car crashes around the state. South Brunswick so far has less crashes than in 2021 but more deaths. There have been six fatalities in 2022 compared to seven in 2021, according to the chief.

“The lack of attention by so many drivers is one of the leading causes of crashes around this state. This crash shows how being distracted can create disaster. The investigators determined the truck would have been half a football field away from the intersection when the light turned red, but the truck driver never stopped. Now the driver faces criminal charges and the victims face a long recovery.” Hayducka said.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.