The driver was not injured in the blaze.
NEWARK -- A driver was not injured Wednesday morning when his tractor-trailer burst into flames on the New Jersey Turnpike, authorities confirmed.
The driver pulled over onto the shoulder near Exit 14 on the Turnpike northbound in Newark at around 11:36 a.m. after he started experiencing some mechanical problems, New Jersey State Police Lt. Brian Polite said Wednesday. The driver then got out of the vehicle when he noticed flames, Polite said.
The front of the tractor was "completely gutted," Polite said, but the flatbed, which was hauling a large piece of metal, did not sustain any permanent damage, he said.
"(The fire) appeared to be worse than it actually was," Polite said.
The right two lanes of the highway were closed while fire departments from Newark and Elizabeth responded to put out the blaze, authorities said. The scene was cleared in less than an hour, police said.
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Tractor-trailer fire. (Photo courtesy Danny Ortiz)