CARTERET, NEW JERSEY — One truck driver is dead and four tractor-trailers were destroyed in a chain-reaction crash and fire on the northbound inner roadway of the New Jersey Turnpike near Exit 12 in Carteret early Thursday morning, snarling traffic for hours and creating an 11-mile backup as firefighters battled a blaze fueled by lumber, candy, and aerosol hair spray cans that kept sporadically igniting.

The crash occurred at approximately 3:45 a.m. on the inner roadway just north of Interchange 12. Four tractor-trailers collided and became fully engulfed in flames. One truck was carrying lumber, another was hauling convenience store supplies including aerosol hair spray cans, and a third was carrying candy. The driver of the last truck involved in the chain reaction was pronounced dead.

The Fire

Firefighters faced severe challenges getting the fire under control. With no hydrants available near the highway, crews were forced to attempt to run hoses across the roadway. As of 8 a.m., fire was still burning in one of the trucks. The aerosol cans in one of the loads continued to ignite sporadically, complicating suppression efforts. Heavy smoke blanketed the area throughout the morning response.

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Traffic Impact

All northbound inner roadway traffic was diverted to the outer roadway. Before the crash, all traffic had already been pushed to the inner lanes due to road work on the outer lanes, leaving no easy escape route for trapped drivers. Backups extended 11 miles southbound to Interchange 10 near Edison. Southbound lanes experienced approximately 3.5 miles of rubbernecking delays between Interchanges 13 and 12. A left lane was briefly reopened after 7 a.m. to clear drivers trapped directly behind the wreckage. Emergency cleanup is expected to be a prolonged operation.

Drivers are advised to avoid the area and use alternate routes including Route 1&9 or the Garden State Parkway.

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