Bridgewater – New Jersey state troopers pulled a man out of a burning tractor-trailer on Interstate 287 moments before the truck exploded in flames on Monday.

The video of the rescue was shared by the New Jersey State Police Tuesday afternoon on social media.

Around 3:35 p.m. Monday, Trooper Robert Tarleton was speaking with a driver on a motor vehicle stop northbound on I-287 at milepost 20 when a nearby tractor trailer ran off the right side of the road in the express lanes, striking the guardrail and bridge abutment before becoming engulfed in flames, according to the State Police.

When Tarleton heard the impact and observed the crash, he immediately returned the driver’s credentials and ran back to his troop car to request for fire and emergency medical services personnel to respond to the crash, as seen in the video.

As he drove to the scene, Tarleton provided an update to dispatch before exiting his vehicle and sprinting to the burning tractor-trailer, according to the State Police.

As he approached the truck, State Police Lt. Edward Ryer, who was on his way home from work when he witnessed the crash, was out of his vehicle attempting to rescue the driver from the cab.

EARLIER:NJ traffic: I-287 northbound closed because of tractor trailer fire

Tarleton and Ryer then worked together to pull the driver from the burning cab, dragging him to safety, seconds before it exploded.

The driver sustained minor injuries in the crash and was transported to Morristown Medical Center for evaluation, according to the State Police. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Email: ngmuscavage@gannettnj.com

Nick Muscavage is a watchdog reporter for the Courier News, Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to his investigative work that has exposed wrongdoing and changed state law, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.