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Massive tanker truck explodes on New Jersey turnpike

A raging tractor trailer fire on the New Jersey Turnpike on Wednesday afternoon prompted the closure of the Western Spur northbound north of Exit 15W in Kearny.

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The driver of the truck has not been accounted for, and it is not known what the tanker was carrying.

At least one person has died after a tractor-trailer overturned on the New Jersey Turnpike in Kearny.

Jones said police are interviewing “numerous witnesses”, including the driver of the the SUV – a woman – who suffered minor injuries in the crash. The truck flipped over a guardrail on the right shoulder and wound up on its side, erupting into flames.

The northbound side on the western spur of the Turnpike was completely closed.

Images from the scene, along a busy section of Interstate 95 west of New York City, show a large fire and black flames pouring into the sky.

Sgt. Jeff Flynn of the NJ State Police told Patch that the fire was caused when a Honda CRV struck a tanker truck and spilled fuel on the roadway. Heavy delays were expected in the area.

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State Police are investigating how a mattress and box spring found near the scene may have played a role in the accident.

Firefighters from several departments battled the blaze at the scene of the tanker truck fire along the New Jersey Turnpike in Kearny