| My family decided to brave the state's
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| | of Perfect. It isn't perfect, but it is
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| highway system one recent Thanksgiving by
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| | real!Somehow by following signs -- there
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| traveling the New Jersey Turnpike south
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| | are places in New Jersey where signs will
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| to my sister's house off of Exit 7A. We
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| | get you where you are going -- we arrived
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| started on Exit 18, knowing full well
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| | at my sister's home. We shared our
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| that we would hit some traffic before we
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| | stories of accident scenes witnessed, a
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| arrived at her home some 70 miles later.
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| | detour taken, and a town admired. The
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| Little did we know that our trip would be
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| | highway madness of earlier that day soon
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| a bit of an adventure: not the type we
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| | faded away as we enjoyed the company of
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| would have liked to participated in
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| | family and our Thanksgiving feast.In the
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| either.It was shortly after the noon hour
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| | early evening we decided to take our
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| when our car passed through the EZPass
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| | tired children and head home. Traffic was
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| booth. We soon found ourselves traveling
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| | much lighter and it moved quickly.
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| past Newark Liberty Airport and the
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| | Heading north on the New Jersey Turnpike,
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| "bucolic beauty" of industrial Linden,
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| | we decided to exit the road and travel
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| NJ. Choosing the car-only lanes seemed
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| | north on the Garden State Parkway, which
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| most sensible; with enough big rigs and
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| | would bring us closer to our home. What
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| buses on the road we didn't want to
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| | had been a two hour trip down was looking
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| subject our midsize car to the wake of a
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| | like a 75 minute sprint home. Everything
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| tandem trailer whooshing on by. Soon
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| | was clear and seemed uneventful. How soon
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| after making that decision we noticed
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| | that would change.We noticed in the
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| brake lights more than one mile down the
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| | vicinity of the Union tolls that traffic
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| road and a helicopter hovering overhead.
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| | was slowing down. At first, we chalked it
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| Uh oh, this did not look good.As we
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| | up to the usual bobbing and weaving one
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| arrived near the stopped traffic, police
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| | must do in order to find the correct toll
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| cars and emergency vehicles screamed by
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| | lane. However, as we made the approach to
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| along the shoulder. Within ten minutes we
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| | the tolls we looked over to the
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| were upon the scene: a green minivan had
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| | southbound lane and saw the all too
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| gone off the road and flipped on its
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| | familiar scenery of emergency vehicles.
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| side. We didn't want to stare too closely
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| | Not again.This time the scene seemed even
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| but it did look like as if a small tree
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| | more horrific. Pulled off the road just
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| was sticking out of the windshield. We
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| | south of the toll booths was a public
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| all said a prayer for the inhabitants and
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| | transit bus. A police officer stood
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| were thanking God that the rescue workers
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| | outside shining a light through the
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| were already there doing what they do
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| | broken passenger windows. We could see
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| best. Moments later the traffic broke and
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| | all the windows were blown out by a fire
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| we found ourselves once again heading
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| | that appeared to have consumed the bus.
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| south on the turnpike with not a little
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| | None of us wanted to imagine what
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| bit of thanks to God on our part that we
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| | happened; we simply grimaced and said yet
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| were safe.Holiday travel in New Jersey is
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| | another prayer to Almighty God for
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| fun. Okay, barely tolerable is more like
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| | mercy.The remainder of the trip home
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| it. If you have family more than 25 miles
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| | found our car engulfed in silence.
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| away, more than likely you will be on one
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| | Looking back, I certainly can give
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| of the major roadways at some point in
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| | thanks for not being involved in any one
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| your trip. It seemed, at times, that the
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| | of the three accidents. We don't know if
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| entire New Jersey populace was going
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| | any produced fatalities, but we do know
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| where we were going. I only hoped that my
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| | that lives were changed that day. Whether
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| sister had a large enough turkey for
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| | people were speeding, cut off, falling
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| everyone.By Exit 8A, traffic had slowed
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| | asleep behind the wheel, or for whatever
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| again so we decided to exit the turnpike
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| | other reason the accident happened, we
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| and follow Route 130 south. Not a great
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| | will never know. Quite frankly, it no
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| choice as Route 130 is a four lane
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| | longer mattered.What we do know is this:
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| roadway desperately needing more lanes
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| | even under the best conditions and in the
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| and less traffic lights. Still, we felt
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| | best weather, road trips cannot be taken
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| that it beat the turnpike parking lot
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| | for granted. New Jersey roads are
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| syndrome.Near Cranbury we began to
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| | crowded, but serious accidents occur all
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| experience deja vu all over again as the
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| | over the country. That is why our family
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| saying goes. Stopped traffic. Sirens.
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| | prays for traveling mercies before we
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| Emergency vehicles spotted in front of
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| | take an extended trip and why we are
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| us. The entire highway closed and traffic
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| | quick to hold victims up in prayer when
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| rerouted. Unlike the previous accident,
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| | we come upon an accident scene.
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| we weren't going to witness the rescue
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| | Life is too precious to do anything
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| attempt. So, we said some more prayers
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| | less.This article originally appeared on
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| for the victims, exited Route 130, and
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| | Townstead.com, a defunct site managed by
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| found ourselves following other cars
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| | Matt Keegan. It was part of his "Life in
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| through the town of Cranbury.At this
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| | New Jersey" series of articles.Matthew
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| point, we were in unfamiliar territory,
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| | Keegan is the owner of a successful
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| but I didn't mind it. Cranbury is a
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| | article writing, web design, and
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| lovely historic town that seems set in
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| | marketing business based in North
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| the mid-19th century. Nothing is new,
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| | Carolina, USA. He manages several sites
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| everything is preserved. If you must be
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| | including the Corporate Flight Attendant
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| detoured somewhere in New Jersey, this
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| | Community and the Aviation Employment
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| town is the place to visit. Tastefully
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| | Board. Please visit The Article Writer to
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| decked out in Christmas splendor,
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| | review selections from his portfolio.
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| Cranbury looks nicer than Walgreen's town
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