A truck fire that closed Route 1 Saturday morning was apparently the result of an accident, according to police.
A truck fire that closed Route 1 Saturday morning was apparently the result of an accident, according to police.
At 7:30 a.m., South Brunswick Police received a 911 call reporting a box truck that was on fire on Route 1 north just pass the Route 522 intersection.
When officers and members of the Monmouth Junction Fire Department arrived they found the box truck fully involved in flames, police said.
The driver reportedly told officers that he was driving from Pennsylvania to New York to drop off clothing items for the NY Clipper Corporation.
The driver told police that he was heading north on Route 1 when he observed smoke coming from the back of the truck.
Police said the driver reportedly stopped the truck and opened the back door, which made the fire accelerate and consume the truck.
Police believe that the fire was the result of a welding torch stored in the back of the truck that may have still been hot when placed next to the clothes, causing them to catch fire.
The Monmouth Junction Fire Department worked for 45 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
The northbound lanes of Route 1 were closed for approximately 90 minutes, police said.
The Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad also responded to the call, and there were no injuries, according to police.