(The following story by Joe D’Aquila appeared on the Trentonian website on January 18, 2010.)
HAMILTON, N.J. — Whether he deserves credit or not, Osama bin Laden may have succeeded in shutting down the Hamilton Train Station last night, at least for a little while.
The station on Sloan Avenue was closed off as New Jersey State Police investigated a potential threat posed by a suspicious truck parked near the station building.
State police spokesman Sgt. Stephen Jones didn’t specify what prompted the police response, but said something inside the truck must have aroused suspicions.
Police radio broadcasts from first-responders on the scene said the suspicion-invoking something was information about Osama bin Laden that was visible on the dashboard of the abandoned truck.
Jones said the scene was being investigated last night by the State Police Arson-Bomb Unit and K-9 Unit, and the NJ Transit Police.
Potential riders looking to enter the station parking lot were turned away beginning at about 9 p.m., as police established a safe-zone perimeter around the suspicious vehicle.
Trains approaching Hamilton were kept a safe distance away, and delays piled up along the Northeast Corridor line.
No spokesperson from NJ Transit returned a call seeking comment last night, but their Web site showed delay warnings for the line until about 10:10 p.m., at which time their trains were again listed as running on time.