A recent truck accident sent a ball of fire into the air over Elizabeth, New Jersey. The accident happened last Tuesday morning when a car crashed into the tanker truck around 1:45 a.m. creating a massive explosion and fire.

The accident happened on Bayway Avenue in the Bayway Circle. The car involved in the crash may have been drag racing at the time of the crash. Drag racing is apparently a problem in the area and it is unclear how many other car accidents are associated with the illegal street sport.

"The car was traveling northbound on Route 1 and 9, and the truck was going across," a witness said. "So I guess the car went through the light as the truck was going around the circle, and went right underneath. Boom."

The truck driver was able to escape his truck before it exploded. The driver of the car was unfortunately trapped under the burning truck and burned alive. Truck accidents are generally more serious than accidents involving only passenger cars. The greater size and weight of trucks makes personal injuries more likely, and the dangerous cargo of some trucks may exacerbate the seriousness of an accident like the oil did in this crash.

Often truck accidents involving passenger cars involve complicated issues of liability. If the truck driver is at fault, then a personal injury lawsuit can often be filed against the driver and the trucking company. In cases where the driver of a car is at fault, then the car driver may face personal injury or negligence claims from the trucking company. Truckers injured in these crashes are also generally entitled to workers' compensation benefits because they were injured on the job.

Source: ABC News, "Deadly tanker crash sends fireball into the sky," Jan. 24, 2012