Somerset County DPW worker who lost legs in crash celebrated for courage and resilience

Suzanne Russell, MyCentralJersey.com
·2 min read

John Esposito Jr. said it's been a hard road, but he was happy to be back at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick last week with the team who cared for him after a life-changing accident in which he lost both legs.

Esposito, of South Bound Brook, was one of two trauma survivors celebrated Wednesday by the hospital and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School's Shock Trauma Program during National Trauma Survivors Day.

As part of the program, the trauma team celebrated the courage, strength and resilience of Esposito and Justin Flax who received care at Robert Wood Johnson's University Hospital's Level I Trauma Center.

John Esposito with members of the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School's Shock Trauma Program, who helped care for him following a cash in which he lost his legs.
John Esposito with members of the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School's Shock Trauma Program, who helped care for him following a cash in which he lost his legs.

On Dec. 20, 2021, Esposito, a Somerset County Department of Public Works employee, was part of a road crew conducting repairs on Mount Horeb Road in Warren when an 80-year-old driver crashed into the crew's truck, pinning Esposito against a trailer.

Warren police received a 911 call around 1:10 p.m. and responded to the crash between Geiger Lane and Tiffany Court where they found Esposito, who had suffered life-threatening injuries, as well as another injured DPW employee, a Raritan Borough resident.

More: NJ hospital safety grades are in. How did yours do?

The Raritan Borough man was standing on the trailer and knocked around at the time of impact, and Esposito was standing on the roadway behind the trailer and pinned between the car and the trailer.

Esposito was airlifted by the New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit to the trauma center where he underwent life-saving surgery.

The second DPW worker was taken by ambulance to an area trauma center where he was treated and released, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said at the time of the crash.

Esposito lost both legs from the crash but remains determined to move forward with his life with courage that inspires others. Before the crash, Esposito had a longtime commitment to Muay Thai, a martial arts and combat sport, according to the hospital.

The philosophy and discipline required by Muay Thai fuels his positivity and commitment to return to the ring and box again, the hospital said.

Justin Flax is one of the trauma survivors celebrated recently at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
Justin Flax is one of the trauma survivors celebrated recently at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Flax was driving to his home in Manalapan from nursing school on Nov. 9, 2022, when he suffered traumatic internal injuries in a crash. He suffered a ruptured diaphragm, fractured pelvis and fractured jaw and underwent multiple surgeries. He was hospitalized for 10 days and could not walk for nearly three months, the hospital said.

Now after grueling physical therapy, he is able to walk on his own and plans to resume nursing school next fall and feels his experience will make him a "better, more empathetic nurse."

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: RWJ hospital in New Brunswick NJ celebrates trauma survivors