UPDATED: 3 hurt as truck flips avoiding engine on Rt. 80

MONTVILLE – Three occupants of a box truck were injured Tuesday afternoon when the driver swerved to avoid an engine that fell from a flatbed trailer onto westbound Route 80 in the township, according to the New Jersey State Police.

According to a police report, the truck was traveling behind a red Land Rover that was towing an old Ford Mustang and an engine on a flatbed trailer when the engine fell off the trailer and landed on the highway.

Capt. Stephen Jones said the box truck swerved to avoid the engine, causing it to overturn and slide into the guard rail on the right side of the highway. The three occupants of the box truck sustained minor injuries and were taken to Morristown Medical Center for treatment, he said.

The driver of the Land Rover later stopped after realizing the engine had fallen and returned to the scene, according to the report. The driver was issued two summonses, one for operating an unsafe vehicle.

Fire and emergency vehicles from Parsippany and Montville responded to the scene, but no fire was reported.

Traffic on westbound Route 80 was observed backing up for more than a mile, but with the truck resting in the shoulder, vehicles were passing the scene in two of the three lanes there.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation reported 15 to 20-minute delays in the area following the accident, but only normal rush-hour delays due to volume by 5 p.m.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-917-8442; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.