UPDATE: Chinese Student's I-78 Truck Death Second In Last Month

New Jersey State Police are investigating the death of a teenage Chinese student who was killed when she was struck by a tractor-trailer on I-78 - the second pedestrian death on the same highway, in Somerset County, in less than a month.

State Police spokesman Sgt. Jeff Flynn has identified 16-year-old Lizhi Hao as the female pedestrian killed in the accident on I-78.

Just last month, a 24-year-old Warren woman was also struck and killed by a tractor-trailer in Somerset County as she stood in the left center lane of Interstate 78 east.

Police didn’t indicate whether they’re investigating a possible pattern since the accidents happened on the same road, in the same county, though in different towns.

Authorities told MyCentralJersey.com that Hao, a student from China staying in Warren, was pronounced dead at the scene in Warren in Somerset County after she was struck by a tractor-trailer in the right eastbound lane near mile marker 37.3, at around 3:15 a.m. Saturday.

In a statement to NJ.com, Purnell Academy co-head, Donna Ruggiero, expressed that students at the Pottersville all-girls boarding school where Hao was a student are mourning the loss of their classmate.

“Purnell School is mourning the loss of a beloved member of our community, Lizhi Hao. This is an extraordinarily difficult time for the School as we grieve this terrible tragedy. We ask that you respect the privacy of our school and community.”

Police are still unsure why the Purnell Academy student was on the highway at the time of the accident. Hao’s family in China has been notified of her passing.

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