Fuel tanks on a wrecked commercial vehicle were caught on camera exploding as firefighters worked to extinguish the flaming rig.
The accident happened on Monday, July 22nd at around 9 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of Route 3 near the Valley Road exit in Clifton, New Jersey.
According to CBS News, a tractor trailer crashed into the sound wall along Route 3, causing the truck to catch fire. The flames destroyed the siding on nearby houses and eventually caused an explosion of the commercial vehicle’s fuel tanks, which was caught on camera by a motorist stuck in the subsequent traffic.
Absolutely wild scene where Route 46 turns into Route 3 in New Jersey.
— gelø (@gelo__25) July 22, 2024
Great job by Clifton police and fire department to act quick and swiftly getting the cars out of the way@NJTRANSIT @njdotcom @NJGov @NJSP @FoxNews @CNN @cnnbrk @MSNBC @CliftonFDNJ pic.twitter.com/62VnJB6FPR
“I went outside in my backyard, and there was a big fire – big, big, big fire. I was so scared, so I took my kids and my mother-in-law and brought them to my brother’s house,” resident Jignasha Rana said.
“I heard an explosion, then another explosion when I came through the door. They told me to just get out, they told me a truck ran into the wall,” said neighbor TJ Cherry. “I grabbed the dog and got myself out, he was out already. And that was it.”
The details of the wreck are unclear, but investigators say the semi truck may have been attempting to avoid a previous wreck when it crashed. It is unclear what the truck was hauling. The truck driver was killed in the accident, reported NJ News.
Eastbound traffic was being diverted to Route 46 and westbound traffic was diverted at Grove Street. Drivers were also warned to expect delays on the Garden State Parkway.