The driver of a Jeep SUV was killed Sunday morning after striking the rear of a fuel tanker on Interstate 287 in Middlesex County, igniting a fire that shut down both directions of the highway for hours and sent thick black smoke visible as far as the Garden State Parkway.
According to New Jersey State Police Trooper Christopher Postorino, the Jeep struck the rear of the Volvo tractor and its fuel tanker trailer at approximately 5:53 a.m. near Exit 2, between exits 1 and 2, engulfing all three vehicles in flames. The Jeep driver suffered fatal injuries, while the passenger was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries — one of four people injured in total, according to Edison Mayor Sam Joshi’s office. The tanker driver’s status was not disclosed. No identities have been released and the crash remains under investigation.
More than 150 firefighters from multiple mutual aid departments responded. Route 27 between Vineyard Road and Bridge Street in Metuchen was also shut down. Southbound lanes on I-287 reopened at approximately 11:15 a.m. Northbound lanes remained closed south of Exit 2A into the evening. Edison Mayor Sam Joshi credited the scale and speed of the multi-agency response for preventing greater damage: “They contained the fire as much as they possibly could. The fire department responded with a sense of urgency. They coordinated with the state police, the county hazmat teams, and they did an outstanding job of containing the fire.”…