The incident occurred at about 3:15 p.m. on the northbound lanes of the highway at Lalor Street.
TRENTON -- A crossing guard was struck and killed by a pickup truck Monday afternoon on Route 129 in Trenton.
The crash occurred at about 3:15 p.m. on the northbound lanes of the highway at Lalor Street, police and witnesses said.
As of 4 p.m. the northbound lanes of the highway were shut down entering Trenton and southbound traffic was down to one lane leaving the city.
Witnesses described the guard being tossed into the air after being struck by a red, northbound pickup truck.
A crashed, red pickup truck was at the scene and several Trenton police officers are on the scene investigating the crash.
Witnesses described the crossing guard as a male who worked regular shifts crossing pedestrians at the intersection.
The man's identity was not immediately available from Trenton police Monday evening.
Jeffrey Bakos and Ricardo Negron were at a bus stop near the intersection when they heard a loud bang.
They ran further toward the intersection and saw the red pickup on the side of the road and the guard on the ground, next to the vehicle.
Negron said a man, who appeared to be the pickup's driver, got out and started hollering for someone to dial 911.
Bakos pulled out his phone and made the call, he said.
"He didn't deserve to die like that," Negron said.
The intersection is popular with pedestrians who cross from the residential west side of Route 129 to a shopping center immediately on the east of the intersection.
The intersection, though, is the last light for drivers exiting Trenton onto Interstate 195. And it's the first light for northbound motorists into the city from I-195, who approach the intersection from a downhill stretch.
The River Line light rail also parallels Route 129 on the eastbound side of the intersection.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.