Series of tragic deaths mark deadly weekend in Bergen County

A series of tragic deaths marked a difficult weekend in North Jersey, with multiple fatalities under investigation in several towns.

Authorities confirmed three deaths on Sunday alone, two in car crashes and another in a train strike. Those were preceded by a drowning Friday in Woodcliff Lake.

A 4-year-old child was pronounced dead after drowning at a private residence in Woodcliff Lake on Heidi Lane, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said. The drowning was reported Friday evening. The child, who was not identified by authorities, was pronounced dead at Valley Hospital.

The first Sunday death occurred at 1:16 a.m., when a man in his 40s died after his car crashed into a tree on Sylvan Avenue in Englewood Cliffs, police said. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Later Sunday morning, at 9:07, Michael Ruscher, 71, of Ringoes, died after his pickup truck was hit by a Ford Mustang on Route 80 in Lodi, New Jersey State Police said.

Ruscher's truck was stopped on the right shoulder when it was hit, state police said. The crash caused the truck to run off the side of the road and hit a concrete wall. The driver of the Mustang sustained "moderate" injuries, police said.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, a Harrington Park man died after being struck by a CSX train at the railroad tracks near Harriot Ave and Shore Road, police Chief Robert Murphy said. The man was in his late 50s.

"CSX extends its deepest sympathy to everyone impacted by this tragedy," a spokesperson for the railroad company said.

The summer months can see an increase in traffic deaths, according to the National Safety Council, as drivers often spend more time on the road during a busy travel season.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen County NJ: Four dead in separate weekend incidents