Is the trucker from the fatal Turnpike mattress crash a hero?

Some say the truck driver who crashed and died after swerving to avoid a rogue mattress on the NJ Turnpike this week is a hero, but not everyone agrees with that assessment.

Here's how the crash went down. 26-year-old Adam Abuhamoud of Linden was driving northbound on the Turnpike when two mattresses and box springs on his roof flew off.

Dalip Kumar, the trucker behind Abuhamoud then had a split-second decision to make. Swerve left, causing the 8,500 gallon gasoline tanker he was hauling to careen into traffic and explode. Or, swerve right, off the road, in hopes that the wreckage and casualties might be minimized.

Kumar veered right, causing his truck to overturn and abruptly ignite into black flames.

Check out dashcam footage of the crash and tell us what you think.

Bob from Scotch Plains was among several callers who said that in the video it appears the trucker wasn't keeping a safe following distance. If that's true, he said, then the trucker is no hero.

However, Doug, a 63-year-old former gasoline hauler, disagreed with this stance, and applauded the driver for swerving to the right to avoid more devastation.

Wayne, a commercial driver from Toms River, agreed that tailgating wasn't the issue. He also said the tanker wasn't fully loaded, so the shift in cargo caused the truck to overturn.

Donald, a caller from Freehold, said the lack of charges against the driver whose mattress had fallen off a tractor trailer represents a double standard against truckers.

Similarly, Jim from East Brunswick questioned why the driver whose mattress caused the accident hasn't been charged yet for the insecure cargo.