One person was killed and another seriously hurt when a Jeep SUV collided with a fuel tanker in Metuchen, New Jersey State Police said Sunday night. A massive fire from the tanker crash shut down parts of I-287 in New Jersey on Sunday morning and sent thick, black smoke into the sky that was visi ble for miles. The fuel truck was carrying approximately 8,000 gallons of fuel when it caught fire in Middlesex County, according to the mayor of neighboring Edison, Sam Joshi. Police say a preliminary investigation shows “a Volvo tractor pulling a fuel tanker trailer was traveling north, when a Jeep SUV struck the rear of the Volvo trailer. As a result of the crash, the Volvo tractor, the fuel tanker trailer and the Jeep all became fully engulfed in flames,” killing the SUV driver. The SUV passenger is hospitalized with serious injuries. The large fire forced the closure of both the northbound and southbound lanes of the interstate near exits 1 and 2 for several hours. Route 27 was also closed to traffic between Vineyard Road and Bridge Street. I-287 tanker fire smoke visible from the Garden State Parkway. Image: NBC New York More than 150 firefighters were dispatched to the scene. It’s not yet clear what led to the crash. The name of the driver who died has not been released. ...read more read less