Hackettstown Woman, 81, Airlifted After Hitting Tractor Trailer

A Hackettstown woman was airlifted after she crashed into the back of a tractor trailer Thursday morning on Grand Avenue, police said.

Marilyn Spier, 81, complained of several injuries and was flown to Morristown Medical Center following the crash near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Mountain View Drive at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sgt. Darren Tynan said.

According to Tynan, William Grover, 57, of Morgantown, Pa., parked his tractor trailer without his hazard lights on partially in the southbound travel lane on Grand Avenue. 

Grover had stopped in an attempt to turn around because his truck wasn't going to fit under the 10-foot-8 clearance at the culvert on Grand Avenue.

Spier was driving a 2004 Honda southbound on Grand Avenue when she looked down to retrieve and a tissue and struck the back of the tractor trailer, Tynan said.

The accident closed a portion of Grand Avenue for about two hours.

Grover was issued summonses for being parked in a no parking zone, obstructing the passage of other vehicles, failure to activate the hazard lights and careless driving.

The New Jersey State Police commercial/carrier inspection unit responded and they may issue other summonses after the inspection is complete.