Elderly man was struck and killed by a tractor trailer.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP - Authorities have identified the elderly man who was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on the northbound side of Interstate 287 near Exit 12 Monday morning, State Police Trooper Lawrence Peele confirmed.
Peele said he is Miroslav Bodnar, 85, of the Somerset section of the township.
Bodnar was pronounced dead at the scene, Peele confirmed, stating they don't know why he was on the roadway.
There was a vehicle on the right shoulder of the road at the time of the accident, but police aren't sure if it belonged to Bodnar, said Peele. An investigation is ongoing, he added.
As of 1:47 p.m., the right and center lanes remained closed but are expected to be open shortly, Peele said. The left lane is open to traffic, he said.
The accident was first reported at 10:21 a.m. on the northbound side of Interstate 287 at mile marker 11.7 near Exit 12. The name of the driver of the tractor-trailer has not been released and the driver did not report any injuries, said Peele.
Earlier, delays into Piscataway of up to 5 miles were reported on the northbound side, and traffic is slow on the southbound side to the Route 28 interchange at the border of Somerville and Bound Brook. The DOT is reporting there are delays of up to an hour in the area and is advising drivers to seek an alternate route.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.