NEWARK — A NJ Transit train struck a car at a crossing in Hazlet, shutting down the North Jersey Coast Line on Saturday afternoon.

Service was suspended between Hazlet and Long Branch after NJCL train #7232 heading inbound from Long Branch struck a car at the Bethany Road crossing around 12:30 p.m., according to NJ Transit spokeswoman Penny Basset Hackett. She said a man died at the scene.

None of the 145 passengers and crew on board the train, which was due into New York at 1:30 p.m., were injured.

Danielle Cooper, a passenger on the train, told New Jersey 101.5 that her outbound train was stopped at the Matawan station. Passengers were told to wait in the parking lot for a bus. She estimated around 300 people were on board the train.

She said that Uber rates went to to $160 because of the demand for service.

Passenger @GenKnoxx said on Twitter that passengers got on a train at Long Branch to head into New York and were not told immediately they weren't going anywhere. "Luckily we aren't standing around. We are on the air conditioned train."

The temperature in Matawan was in the low 90s.

Another passenger, Kyle McKenzie, said that there no one from NJ Transit at the station to give directions or answer questions. He said that passengers were allowed back back onto the train to sit in the air conditioned cars.

Basset Hackett did not know if any other trains were caught between Long Branch and Hazlet but said that there is less service on a Saturday.

 

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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