New Jersey truck transporting gasoline explodes

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A gasoline tanker recently exploded following a trucking accident along Routes 1 and 9 in New Jersey and resulted in the death of a driver of a car whose vehicle was pinned underneath the truck and who subsequently was caught up in the fireball. The massive explosion, which occurred at 1:45 in the morning, woke up nearby residents, and caused hours of road closure and delays, was the result of the tanker carrying more than 8,000 gallons of fuel that ignited during the collision.

Fire fighters were summoned to the scene to fight the flames. It’s unclear who had the right-of-way in the collision, but it is believed that the cause of the accident may have involved illegal street racing. It was fortunate that the driver of the truck was able to escape without serious injury.

From what little information we have, it does not appear that the truck driver was at fault. However, such an accident demonstrates that just about anything can occur on the New Jersey roadways. A truck carrying gasoline, car that may have been operated at high speeds, and the collision at an intersection could easily have resulted in many more individuals being killed.

The accident will require extensive investigation. There are attorneys that can make sense of conflicting stories, and who have the resources to assist in investigating such accidents as the one that happened here. Law firms often have access to individuals and resources to make determinations as to how fast vehicles were traveling at the time of a collision, and such attorneys will usually have a good idea as to how such an accident occurred.

Source: ABC Local News, “Deadly tanker crash sends fireball into the sky,” by Anthony Johnson, Jan. 24, 2012