Photos show aftermath of horrific crash of tanker truck on N.J. Turnpike that brought firefighters from several area communities to douse the blaze. The driver
was killed.
KEARNY –
A tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline crashed on the N.J. Turnpike in Kearny last week, exploding in flames and killing the driver, identified as a 40-yearold Newark man.
At the height of the blaze, approximately 60 firefighters from a half-dozen departments were at the scene, Kearny Fire Chief Steve Dyl told The Observer.
The tanker, reportedly owned by JSK Transport of Warren, was traveling north near mile marker 109.6 on the Turnpike’s western spur Wednesday afternoon when the crash occurred. Authorities believe truck driver Dalip Kumar lost control of the vehicle when he swerved to avoid two mattresses and box springs that had fallen onto the highway from a cargo van.
Although Kumar was named in news accounts, the State Police were reportedly witholding official confirmation pending an autopsy.
The tanker, en route to Clifton from Linden, struck the guardrail bordering the right lane and overturned, bursting into flames. Clouds of jet-black smoke could be seen for miles and smoke was blown by the wind all the way to lower Manhattan.
Dyl said the KFD received the alarm at 3:22 p.m. and dispatched four engines, a ladder truck and a foam tender. That foam was critical in dousing the burning fuel and containing the blaze.
Also responding were the Newark and Jersey City Fire Departments and the Bergen County Task Force, including firefighters from Franklin Lakes, Ridgefield Park, Mahwah and Secaucus. “We asked for a water tender from Bergen County,” Dyl said, noting that the Newark FD also supplied water from its tanker. “The problem was water,” he said. “There are no hydrants, no water supply out there.” The site of the accident was in the meadows, and flames did spread to the bone-dry reeds, causing a brush fire that consumed about two acres, Dyl said.
The Bergen County units had responded, the chief explained, not only because the crash occurred near the Bergen border, but also because it was easier for southbound vehicles to reach the scene. The northbound lanes of the highway were blocked, and northbound traffic was not allowed back on the road until Thursday morning.
Dyl said the fire was declared under control at 5:01 p.m., but Kearny units did not leave the scene until 11:15 p.m.
When the flames had been doused, there was virtually nothing left of the truck. “The cab was completely gone,” Dyl said. “Basically all you could see was the engine, and the trailer was melted away. Only the shell of it was left.”
The chief noted, however, that an estimated 1,000 gallons of fuel remained in that shell, and it had to be off-loaded. He said that Ken’s Marine of Bayonne sent another tanker to pump it out, and Moran Towing of Kearny hauled away the wreckage.
According to published reports, a Honda CRV was involved in the initial crash, but its driver had only minor injuries. A KFD captain suffered heat-related problems and was transported to University Hospital in Newark, treated and released.
Authorities said the driver of the cargo van that had lost the mattresses and box springs remained at the scene. As of press time, no charges had been filed against him.
While the KFD was at the fire, the Bayonne and Jersey City FDs provided coverage to Kearny.
