By Marlene Naanes And Justo Bautista
The Herald News
CARLSTADT, N.J. — Three people, including two girls, were critically injured in an accident involving a tanker explosion on the turnpike’s western spur Monday.
Seven others also were injured in the accident, which occurred about 9 p.m. A minivan was backing up when it went into the path of the tanker, which was entering the high-speed E-ZPass lanes, said Trooper Chris Kay.
Nine people in the minivan, including the 45-year-old driver, Yayah Bah, were injured and were taken to Hackensack University Medical Center. A 27-year-old woman and the girls, ages 8 and 14, were critically hurt.
Eight of the nine people in the van had the same surname, and all lived at the same address in Harlem, police said.
The driver of the tanker truck, Howard Kiefer, 50, of Monticello, N.Y., had a minor leg injury and was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center.
The tanker was carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline when it exploded in towering flames on Route 95 northbound, forcing authorities to shut down the western spur of the turnpike just before 9 p.m.
The accident closed the southern lanes of the turnpike’s western spur for about 90 minutes and closed the northern lanes until 7 a.m. Tuesday.
The tanker exploded near Exit 18W of the turnpike, not far from Route 3.
Firefighters from Carlstadt and all surrounding communities responded, Carlstadt police said.
Engineers from the state Department of Transportation were at the scene late Monday to inspect for any roadway damage, said Tom Feeney, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.
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