3 killed in fiery crash on NJ's Atlantic City Expressway

HAMILTON (Atlantic) — Three people were killed on the eastbound Atlantic City Expressway when a vehicle hit the Egg Harbor toll plaza Sunday night and burst into flames, according to State Police.

The Honda passenger vehicle struck the plaza around 9:10 p.m. and quickly became completely engulfed in flames, according to Sgt. Alejandro Goez.

The driver, identified by State Police as Reachthon Khiev, 31, of Manchester, New Hampshire, and two passengers, Reachsieh Khiev, 27, also of New Hampshire, and Keotepie Khiev, 14, of Atlantic City, died in the crash.

A third passenger, a 12-year-old girl, was hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries.

An attendant working at the toll plaza sustained moderate non-life-threatening injuries because of the crash, according to Curry. Their identities were not disclosed.

State Police did not know the relationship between the occupants of the Honda.

Photos and video of the crash show a vehicle on fire inside Lane 5 of the toll plaza. Some of the letters on the sign above the lane were melted by the heat of the fire.

Fire at the Egg Harbor toll plaza on the Atlantic City Expressway 12/26/21 (Steven Ross via Twitter @SteveRoss81)

Emergency repairs close lanes

All eastbound lanes near the toll plaza were closed for 7 hours after the crash for the initial investigation and cleanup. Two left toll lanes and the shoulder were still closed as of 11 a.m. but there was minimal impact on traffic.

The toll plaza is commonly known as the "dollar toll plaza" although increases brought the actual toll to $4.25.

Deadly holiday on NJ roads

The three deaths bring the number of people killed on New Jersey highways during the State Police Christmas enforcement period between Thursday and Sunday to five.

A 6-year-old boy was killed in a hit-and-run crash on eastbound Route 80 in Roxbury Thursday night. The child was a passenger in a Honda HRV that became entangled in a multi-car chain reaction, according to State Police.

A crash on the Garden State Parkway in Woodbridge on Friday morning killed a 47-year-old New Brunswick woman, State Police told MyCentralJersey.com.

Lane 5 of the Egg Harbor toll plaza on the Atlantic City Expressway after a fire 12/27/21 (Steve Keeley via Twitter @KeeleyFox29)

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ