Cranbury, NJ — A man from Browns Mills was injured this past Wednesday night (April 8, 2015) after his disabled car was struck from behind on the New Jersey Turnpike by a semi-truck. The injured man was identified as Ryan Dorofy, 34, and the truck driver was identified as Kenneth Rochkind of Maryland.
The accident happened in the southbound lanes of the Turnpike, police said. Ryan Dorofy was driving his Nissan Altima south that night at about 9:15 p.m. when his car broke down near the 73 mile marker.
As he sat in the right-hand lane, unable to move, Dorofy’s car was suddenly hit from behind by Kenneth Rochkind’s semi-truck. The accident left Dorofy with injuries serious enough to warrant a helicopter ride to the hospital, though they later confirmed that he was in a non life-threatening condition.
The truck driver, Rochkind, wasn’t harmed and it’s unclear whether he’ll face charges over this.
Map of Cranbury Area
Commentary:
Did the semi-truck here see the victim’s car before hitting it? I understand that it might have been dark outside, but that’s not a very good reason for rear-ending a car on a major highway, now is it? However, I understand why some people might be sympathetic toward the semi-truck driver, thinking that there wasn’t enough time to react.
At the end of the day, timing is the missing component here. If this man’s car was rear-ended after having been in the roadway for some time – giving other drivers adequate time to avoid him – then this semi-truck should’ve been able to avoid him as well. But, if the car broke down only seconds before the accident, then that’s a different story.
My issue here is that there are more questions than answers and it doesn’t seem like the police really know what happened that night.
— Grossman Law Offices
