Tanker fire spreads to New Jersey car dealership in Monday morning crash

A flaming, caused early morning chaos roughly 15 miles outside midtown Manhattan Monday. The on Route 17 in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. when it was struck by a car after 5 a.m., according to the Bergen Record. A building and more than two dozen automobiles reportedly caught fire. ABC News said a car dealership was destroyed.

Route 17 was closed in both directions north of Industrial Avenue as firefighters battled the blaze. Pascack Valley Line trains were slowed by track fires at the start of the morning commute. Fire nearly spread to a nearby warehouse but was reportedly extinguished before that happened. The Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department reported on Facebook it to battle the blaze at at Extra Space Storage facility on Route 17 at 5:30 a.m.

Fire Chief Michael Greco said these sorts of incidents often result in multiple deaths, though no one appeared to have been killed by Monday’s collision. “That’s not typical with these types of accidents at all,” Greco said. Fire officials said lunchtime traffic near the crash site could be impacted.

At least two pilots headed to Teterboro Airport were delayed, the Bergen Record reported. Heat from the intense flames could be felt from across the highway. Businesses on Route 17 reportedly lost electricity as a result of damage to power lines..