Prosecutor: Driver killed in tractor-trailer explosion on Route 3 in Clifton

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A truck driver was killed when the vehicle exploded on Route 3 in Clifton Monday morning, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office. The driver was identified as a 55-year-old man from Linden. His name was not released. Fire officials say that a bus rear-ended the truck, which was filled with chemicals, causing the fire. The crash happened near the Grove Street exit on Route 3. Witnesses in neighborhoods along Route 3 told News 12 that they saw a fireball, followed by thick, black smoke high in the sky around 9 a.m. When firefighters made it to the scene, the fire was still raging. At one point a drum full of chemicals exploded from the truck, not far from an approaching fireman. Terri McEachrane told News 12 she could see and hear the explosion and plume of smoke from her home on the westbound side of the highway. At first, she thought it was another earthquake. “It was boom, boom and then a big fireball. It was huge. You could feel the heat here,” she said. Cathy Nguyễn lives in homes that are in front of the sound barrier on the westbound side of Route 3. She says she walked outside to see that same fireball and immediately left her home on Notch Road. “I see fire coming and a really big explosion. We felt the heat, so we had to evacuate and go to the next block,” Nguyễn said. Fire officials say that a bus rear-ended the box truck, causing the truck to crash into the sound barrier. Route 3 was shut down in both directions and the sound barrier was destroyed. Three homes along Normandy Road were evacuated. The vinyl siding on at least one of the homes was melted from the heat of the fire. News 12 crews could also see that the truck cab was destroyed. Some of the drums from the truck were in the backyard of a home and are being monitored by hazmat crews and left alone until the contents cooled. “There were drums and some in the backyard right now. So they are trying to identify exactly what it is if it’s safe to go near them,” Fire Chief Dan Collins said. Collins said no one on the bus was injured. Route 3 eastbound lanes will be closed into Tuesday morning, according to Clifton police. The westbound lanes were closed for a time but reopened Monday evening. The New Jersey Department of Transportation says that emergency repairs will take place overnight. Motorists are urged to avoid the area and follow signs for detours . News 12 is now waiting on the identity of the truck driver and to find out which company he worked for. "