A truck driver who sustained spinal injuries and has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder following a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike agreed to a $1.1 million settlement in his Union County suit, Smyth v. Cruz, on June 26.

Philip Smyth of Meriden, Connecticut, a driver for United Parcel Service, was headed north on the Turnpike in Newark on Oct. 24, 2017, when his truck collided with another truck, driven by Jose Cruz and owned by Brunozzi Transfer Truck Rental of Vineland. Cruz, who was killed in the crash, was driving in the right lane when he apparently noticed that vehicles lining up on an exit ramp were causing traffic in his lane to stop, said John Molinari of Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari in Chatham, who represented Smyth. Cruz's vehicle swerved to the left, striking the right side door of Smyth's tractor trailer, which was in the center lane, nearly causing the truck to flip over. Cruz then hit the rear of another tractor trailer in front of Smyth's, according to Molinari.

Cruz, who was apparently not wearing a seat belt, was ejected onto the roadway, and was run over by the rear wheels of his own truck, which severed his body at the waist, Molinari said. Meanwhile, Smyth stopped and got out of his vehicle, and saw Cruz's body, which contributed to Smyth's PTSD, Molinari said, noting that the entire incident was captured on a video taken by a person in another vehicle.