Truck driver dies after vehicle plunges from Route 80 ramp in Elmwood Park

A truck driver died after his tractor-trailer veered off route 80 in Elmwood Park, crashed though the guardrail, plunged off the overpass and caught fire around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, according to New Jersey State Police.

The preliminary investigation indicates that a tractor-trailer traveled in the right shoulder, struck the guardrail, and continued over the curbed median and through the exit 61 on-ramp, said state police public information officer Sgt. Alejandro Goez.

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"The tractor-trailer went through another guardrail and fell off the overpass" Goez said. "As a result, the T.T. overturned and became engulfed."

Paterson Fire Capt. Winfred Roman said Paterson firefighters were among the first responders to reach the scene.

"Even though it was dark out, you could see the smoke," Roman said.

When they got there, the truck was on fire. It seems, he said, that the truck had hit one of the pillars and continued over the side of overpass. The cab landed first and the trailer landed on top of the cab, he said.

"It fell a good 20 feet," he said.

The trailer was carrying cardboard and was ignited after the crash.

"Once it ignites, you have to break it apart and get to the core," Roman said.

The driver has yet to be identified. The trailer was registered to DM Bowman Inc. out of Indianapolis, Indiana.

The crash remains under investigation. Roman said the consensus among rescue workers is that the driver may have suffered a medical issue before the accident. Motorists who reported it said the vehicle had been driving erratically.

Responding to the scene were the state police, the Elmwood Park and Paterson police departments, the Elmwood Park and Paterson fire departments, Elmwood Park emergency services and Bergen County Hazmat.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Truck driver dies after plunging off Route 80 in Elmwood Park