QUEENS — A Yonkers man burned to death in the back seat of an SUV on Grand Central Parkway Tuesday afternoon when a piece of metal debris pierced the vehicle's gas tank and set it alight, police said.

Dale Tulloch, 50, was riding in the 2010 Toyota Highlander with two other people as it headed east on the Parkway when it burst into flames near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway split at exit 4 about 1:35 p.m., according to the NYPD and FDNY.

The driver, who was a 26-year-old man, plus a 25-year-old woman managed to escape the SUV with minor injuires, officials said. They were treated at New York Hospital Queens. Their names were not immediately released.

The roaring fire engulfed the SUV and sent a column of smoke skyward. Once firefighters extinguished the blaze, they found the remains of the Locust Hill resident, police said.

Gothamist posted a video showing people fleeing the burning vehicle.

Police said their investigation is ongoing.

The crash caused temporary traffic delays on the eastbound section of Grand Central Parkway, according to the Office of Emergency Management.

As of 3 p.m., the exit ramp, the deceleration lane and the right lane were still blocked because of the investigation, a Department of Transportation spokeswoman said.