A driver died and another person was seriously injured on Sunday when an SUV hit a fuel tanker, causing a major fire on Interstate 287, authorities said.
The crash happened at 5:53 a.m. near milepost 1.9 on the highway’s northbound side in Metuchen, the New Jersey State Police said. The SUV hit the tanker from behind, which was being pulled by a tractor, police said.
The impact caused the SUV, tanker and tractor to all become engulfed in flames, authorities said. The driver of the SUV died in the fire and their passenger was rushed to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries, officials said.
The identity of the deceased victim is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin. The driver of the tractor was not injured, police said.
The crash forced the shutdown of multiple roads for hours on Sunday.
Metuchen Mayor Jonathan M. Busch said none of the fuel spilled on I-287 entered the borough. Busch said in a Facebook post that he had been working closely with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Middlesex County hazmat officials to track any fuel runoff from the incident.
“None of it has entered Metuchen,” he said, adding that “any affected runoff areas are already being addressed by DEP crews, and officials do not expect any significant environmental impact.”
Cleanup efforts were still underway into Sunday evening as crews worked to reopen roads and clear the scene, Busch said. The tanker was fully drained of its remaining fuel before the wreckage was towed away, the mayor said.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill said, in a post on X, that she had been in touch with local officials and fire chiefs about the incident.
“We are closely following reports of injuries as officials continue assessing the situation,” Sherrill said.
The Rutgers University graduation in New Brunswick was briefly delayed as the road closures caused congestion in the area around the blaze.
Southbound lanes on I-287 reopened about 11:15 a.m. while northbound lanes south of Exit 2A did not reopen until after 5 p.m.
By Sunday evening, Route 27 was still closed between Vineyard Road and Bridge Street. Crews had equipment stretched across the road for most of Sunday, contributing to heavy traffic from detours.
More than 150 firefighters and emergency personnel were on the scene. The DEP also was on scene assessing potential environmental damage.
The circumstances of the crash are still under investigation by the New Jersey State Police.
Tanker fire shuts down I-287
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