EDISON, N.J. — A gasoline tanker carrying 8,000 gallons of fuel erupted into flames after colliding with another vehicle on Interstate 287 in Edison early Sunday, leaving one person dead and several others injured, authorities and local officials said.
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The crash happened around 6 a.m. on the northbound side of Route 287 near Exit 2 for Route 27. According to law enforcement sources cited by local media, a Jeep rear-ended the tanker before the vehicle became engulfed in flames.
Officials said one person was trapped inside the Jeep and died at the scene, while another person managed to escape. Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said four people were injured in the incident.
The intense blaze sent thick smoke into the air and spread into nearby wooded areas alongside the highway, prompting a massive emergency response involving more than 150 firefighters. Emergency dispatches indicated mutual aid tanker units and county hazmat teams were called to assist as crews battled heavy fire conditions and exposure concerns.
New Jersey State Police closed Route 287 in both directions between Exit 1 for Route 1 and Exit 2 for Route 27. Authorities also shut down Route 27 between Bridge Street and Route 287, with traffic diverted to Route 1.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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A major vehicle fire on the northbound lanes of I-287 near Exit 2A in Edison escalated into a 2nd Alarm response early Sunday morning, with mutual aid tankers and a full county hazmat recall… pic.twitter.com/HlTDXWhgTS
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) May 17, 2026
Was it an illegal Indian driver?