Three people were killed in a multivehicle crash on Route 1 in South Brunswick Friday morning. South Brunswick police say all three were in a van being driven to a Central Jersey adult day care center.

The crash happened around 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of Route 1 and Ridge Road. That portion of Route 1 northbound is still closed to vehicles as of Friday afternoon.

Police and road crews now have the challenge of removing the truck a the center of this crash - a flatbed that has a large slab of concrete as cargo.

The truck struck the van, which was then pinned up against the jersey barrier, separating the north from the south side of the highway. Deputy Chief Jim Ryan says the victims died on impact. He said first responders had no chance to save the victims.

“The impact was significant. It pushed [the van] almost 200 yards from the intersection so there was no opportunity,” Ryan says.

Details of how these two vehicles came together are still being investigated. Police say that during the crash, a fire erupted, burning both the van and the cab of the truck. The driver of the truck escaped with minor injuries.

The crash caused miles of traffic delays, especially for those heading north on Route 1. Those drivers have since been forced to exit onto Ridge Road and find their way to Route 130 or the New Jersey Turnpike to continue north.

It will be a complex cleanup as the slab of concrete on the truck has shifted.

“We have to bring in a crane to lift off the concrete off the truck, put it onto another truck. We then have to separate the vehicles up there. We have to have the medical examiner do their portion of the work,” Ryan says. “The road itself will have to be paved over. The truck from the fire is embedded into the highway.”

Crash scene investigators with Middlesex County and New Jersey State Police are now reconstructing the scene to determine exactly what happened. There is a surveillance camera high above the intersection with Ridge Road which may also help.

Police ask that drivers avoid Route 1 in the area of South Brunswick. Drivers are urged to use Route 130 or the Turnpike to get north.

Ryan is asking to see any dash cam video drivers may have related to the crash.