Overturned tanker truck shuts part of Turnpike, access to I-287

EDISON — An overturned tanker truck closed a portion of the New Jersey Turnpike following a multi-vehicle crash overnight.

State Police spokesman Sgt. Lawrence Peele said the tanker was carrying gasoline and overturned in the southbound outer lanes near exit 10 for Routes 287 and 440 just before midnight. A Chevrolet van and a tractor trailer rear ended the tanker causing a leak of fuel.

The driver of the truck, whose identity was not disclosed by Peele, said the truck driver was hospitalized at Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center for minor injuries.

The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation, according to Peele.

The ramps from both the inner and outer lanes to exit 10 were reopened around 11:45 a.m. on  Thursday along with the outer lanes which were closed for over 20 miles for over 10 hours between Newark and the crash scene for cleanup and the investigation.

Video posted by News 12 New Jersey shows the tanker surrounded by foam on the outer lanes. A new video at 8:50 a.m. showed that the tanker was uprighted and was removed from the roadway.

Peele said the gasoline needed to be contained but did not know the amount the truck was carrying. An official at the crash scene told RLS Metro Breaking News the tanker was carrying 7,000 gallons of fuel.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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