Joseph Pagano, Hamilton: State Police investigate bizarre multi-car chain reaction that left a New Jersey driver dead on the shoulder."
A chaotic, fast-moving chain reaction on the westbound Atlantic City Expressway has left state troopers searching for answers. The night of June 20, 2026, became a scene of absolute devastation in Hamilton Township after two separate back-to-back collisions left one man dead and six others hospitalized.
The sequence started with a routine highway mishap. Joseph J. Pagano Jr., 34, was driving his Dodge pickup truck near milepost 11.3 when he became involved in a three-car crash. Miraculously, that initial collision caused zero injuries to anyone involved.
Following standard protocol, Pagano managed to steer his damaged Dodge over to the right shoulder of the expressway. With the initial danger seemingly over, he exited the cab of his truck and stepped out into the open air.
That is when the situation took a catastrophic turn. According to investigators, Pagano suddenly attempted to walk across the active, high-speed westbound lanes of the highway. He made it all the way to the far-left lane before tragedy struck.
A Nissan SUV traveling in the left lane was unable to avoid him. The vehicle struck Pagano, inflicting fatal injuries that emergency medical teams could not reverse. He was pronounced dead at the scene despite rapid emergency efforts.
The roadway quickly devolved into pure bedlam. Right after the Nissan hit Pagano, an oncoming Kia failed to brake in time and slammed directly into the back of the SUV. The forceful impact triggered a secondary wreck that left vehicle debris scattered across the blacktop.
Six individuals inside the Nissan and Kia suffered minor injuries from the second impact and required immediate transport to regional hospitals. New Jersey State Police are still actively investigating the crash to piece together exactly why the initial fender-bender escalated into a fatal multi-vehicle disaster.
"""
