A borough man died in a fatal crash in Readington this morning, according to a press release from Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns, III. Kearns said that a preliminary investigation shows that a dump truck owned by Flats and Curbs Concrete of Union was backing into a construction site around 11:31 a.m. from the westbound lanes of US Hwy 22 near County Line Road. A Hyundai Sonata driven by Russell P. Balunis, 78, of Flemington was driving west on the state highway west and struck the trailer. Balonis was pronounced dead at the scene

"Our condolences go out to the Balonis family and friends of Mr. Balonis during this difficult time," Kearns said. "The incident remains under investigation; further details will be released when they become available."

The accident is being investigated by the Fatal Analysis Collision Team and Readington Township police.

Kearns asks that if anyone has any information regarding the investigation to contact Readington police at 908-534-4035 or the his office at 908-788-1129. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-321-0010, going online at www.CrimeStoppersHunterdon.com, or through the free "P3 Tips" smartphone app. All tips are anonymous and kept confidential.

The highway was closed for about four hours and has since been reopened. Assisting at the scene were Whitehouse Fire and Rescue, East Whitehouse Fire and EMS 1.

The press release was issued jointly by Kearns and Readington Police Chief Joseph Greco.