Pedestrian Killed Near Phillipsburg McDonald's in Early Morning Route 22 Crash

Mark G. Madsen, 40, of Phillipsburg was struck and killed by a vehicle on eastbound Route 22 near the McDonald's restaurant at Memorial Parkway in an early-morning crash that shut down part of the highway for several hours Friday.

Phillipsburg Police Capt. James McDonald said the crash occurred near Roseberry Street sometime between roughly 6 a.m. and shortly before 7 a.m. Reports from two outlets placed the time differently, and the exact moment of impact remains to be confirmed through official police records. What is not in dispute is the outcome: Madsen was pronounced dead, and investigators are now piecing together the circumstances.

Whether Madsen was attempting to cross Route 22 at the time has not been confirmed by police. The type of vehicle involved was also not immediately identified. "The investigation is ongoing and details will follow when more information becomes available," Capt. McDonald told LehighValleyLive.com.

The driver was cooperating with investigators, according to one account of the incident, though Phillipsburg Police had not publicly confirmed that detail by early Friday. No charges have been announced and no driver identity has been released.

The Suburban Major Accident Reconstruction Team, known as SMART, responded to assist with the investigation alongside Phillipsburg Police and the Warren County Prosecutor's Office. SMART's involvement signals the seriousness of the case: the unit is typically deployed for fatal or potentially criminal crashes, conducting detailed physical reconstruction of the collision sequence, vehicle speeds, and road conditions.

Route 22 near Roseberry Street was closed for several hours while investigators worked the scene. Traffic was diverted at Pickford Avenue West during the Friday morning closure, affecting the commute along one of the region's busiest commercial corridors.

The Warren County Prosecutor's Office has not issued a public statement detailing the scope of its involvement, which in fatal pedestrian cases can range from oversight of the investigation to the filing of criminal charges depending on what reconstruction findings show.

The investigation remains open.