Truck fire forces Sunday closure of Route 1 at Washington Road

   WEST WINDSOR — A truck fire snarled traffic and forced closure of northbound Route 1 at Washington Road for 12 hours Sunday.
   Police said Anthony Hall, 38, of Bound Brook was slowing to stop at the light at Route 1 and Washington Road at 5:55 a.m., when he lost control of the tractor-trailer truck he was driving and struck a utility pole.
   The driver escaped unharmed and no one else was injured, but as Public Service Electric & Gas Co. workers tried to disconnect live wires touching the truck, flames engulfed the vehicle. The fire gutted the truck, according to police.
   The vehicle — owned by City Capitol Commerce of Irving, Texas, and leased to Grocery Haulers Inc. — was empty at the time of the accident.
   Southbound Route 1 reopened just after 7:30 a.m., but it took all day for crews from Verizon, AT&T, Qualcom, PSE&G and West Windsor’s Road Department to clear the scene.
   Northbound Route 1 was re-opened just before 6 p.m.
   Mr. Hall was issued summonses for careless driving and failure to maintain control of his vehicle.