This archive report was first published on 8 June 2020.
On June 7, 2020, a devastating accident occurred on the New Jersey Turnpike, claiming the lives of ten racehorses. The tractor-trailer carrying the horses hit a concrete median and burst into flames, leaving two truck drivers hospitalized.
Christophe Clement, the trainer of the horses, including the 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, expressed his shock and heartbreak on Twitter. 'We are all devastated by the news and heartbroken — we are working to understand what happened,' he wrote.
The accident took place around 3 a.m. in the northbound truck lanes of the turnpike, just outside of Trenton, N.J., in East Windsor. The cause of the accident was still under investigation.
According to Nicole Pieratt, owner of Sallee Horse Vans, the drivers were treated for smoke inhalation and released from the hospital. The company did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.
West Point Thoroughbreds paid tribute to the deceased horses on Twitter, writing, 'Rest easy Hot Mist & Under the Oaks.'
The accident occurred less than three miles from where a Walmart tractor-trailer slammed into the back of a luxury van carrying comedian Tracy Morgan on June 7, 2014, resulting in serious injuries and one fatality.
