It happened around 5:40 a.m. Monday on Route 17 South not far from Teterboro Airport. The tanker and another car got into a crash, but amazingly, both drivers were able to escape their vehicles.
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The tanker plowed into a used car dealership, causing it to catch fire. That building is a complete loss as were two dozen of the vehicles on the lot.
Firefighters battling the blaze were able to save neighboring businesses on either side.
Commuters were stuck with nowhere to go for up to two hours as power lines were ripped down and shut down both sides of the highway.
Train service was also impacted but Pascack Valley Line rail service has resumed in both directions.
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The 6:21 a.m. NJ Transit train to Hoboken on the Pascack Valley Line was forced to stop on the tracks due to the fire.
The fire was placed under control once PSE&G was able to cut off gas to the car lot.
"It's through the efforts of the men that we were able to save both of the exposure buildings and the driver of the tanker and of the motorvehicle. So, we have no fatalities or injuries at this fire whatsoever which is remarkable," said Chief Mike Greco, Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department.
Drivers were stunned by the fireball and frustrated by the resulting traffic delays.
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