The car careened off Kinderkamack Road just after 3 a.m. on Wednesday, according to police.
It happened Saturday night on Exit 14A in heading west onto 78.
Officials say garbage and debris on the sidewalk, and a couple of cars were on fire at the location before a large explosion occurred.
New Jersey State Police say the fire was reported shortly before 9 p.m.
The Picketts came upon the crash while driving back to campus after a family dinner in New York City's Times Square.
Smoke poured out of a truck that caught fire at Dulles International Airport in Virginia on Saturday, and it was caught on video.