Bergen County authorities are investigating a collision that left several individuals dead inside a vehicle in Rutherford overnight.
According to preliminary reports, police responded to the westbound side of Route 3 near Ridge Road (Route 17) to investigate reports of a crash with injuries just before 11 p.m.
Upon arrival, police found a severely damaged SUV that crashed into the rear of a front-end loader.
Emergency responders arrived and pulled four occupants from the vehicle then pronounced them dead at the scene.
Police say a fifth victim was rushed to an area hospital in ”grave” condition, but there was no immediate confirmation of a fatality.
Authorities believe that the front-end loader was being used for construction on the highway but have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
UPDATE 8:01am : Police have now confirmed the fifth victim ( a child) has died. Rutherford chief: All 5 in the vehicle deceased. 3 females, 2 males (1 male was a toddler).
Police closed Route 3 for several hours while the Bergen County Fatal Crash Team, NJ State Police, Rutherford Police, Bergen County Sheriff Department and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office conducted the investigation.