Jersey City man killed in fiery July 4 crash on Route 80

ROCKAWAY -- The man killed in the fiery crash on Route 80 on Tuesday has been identified as a 49-year-old Jersey City resident.

Michael O'Brien was adjusting his bicycle on his vehicle on the shoulder of Route 80 west near Exit 35 when a vehicle driven by Barbara Potts, 72, of Newark, entered the shoulder, fatally striking O'Brien, State Police spokesman Lt. Ted Schafer said.

Duncan Smythe, an emergency medical technician and a former Bridgewater police officer, told NJ Advance Media that Potts' car swerved off the road and went into the air before it spun and hit the guardrail.

Moments later, both vehicles were engulfed in flames, Smythe said.

Smythe, 55, of Westfield, pulled Potts out of the vehicle along with a front-seat passenger.

"One car was fully engulfed and the other had flames coming from under the hood," Smythe said. "The driver's door (of the car that ran off the road) wasn't locked, I opened and got the woman who was driving to safety. The passenger was conscious but dazed, he was a little wedged, but I managed to get him out."

State Police said Potts and a front-seat passenger had minor injuries. Rear-seat passenger, Mary Briggs, 69, of Newark, was critically injured in the crash and taken to Morristown Medical Center.

Schafer told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday it's not yet clear whether Potts' vehicle swerved or drifted into the shoulder.

O'Brien was driving to Budd Lake to spend time with family on the Fourth of July holiday when the crash occurred, according to NorthJersey.com.

Prior reporting by staff writer Larry Higgs contributed to this report.

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.