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The box truck was instantly consumed by flames as firefighters reached Exit 66 shortly after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 21.
"It was a cremation," one responder at the scene said.
Ambiorix Torres-Fernandez, 40, of Paterson, passenger Juan Sanchez-Rodriguez, 27, of Garfield, were declared dead at the scene.
Meanwhile, the cab of the rig involved in the crash went through the concrete divider to the westbound side while the trailer remained in the eastbound lanes.
Two SUVs were also involved, State Police said. All of the survivors remained at the scene, they said.
A squadron from the Hackensack Fire Department doused the flames after quickly and safely extricating victims.
All local and express lanes were quickly closed, as the fiery field of destruction stretched across nearly two-thirds of the entire highway.
The express lanes remained closed and the locals open through the morning between the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike.
Here's how it happened, according to New Jersey State Police Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron:
A Toyota SUV was headed east in the local lanes when it hit the curbed median, entered the express lanes and hit the Volvo tractor-trailer in the area of milepost 66.6.
The rig's cab crashed through the divider into the westbound express lanes, hitting the Izuzu box truck.
The box truck was knocked into the local westbound lanes and burst into flames.
A GMC SUV then hit the tractor-trailer (continued below).
Torres-Fernandez and Sanchez-Rodriguez were killed, the sergeant said.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 63-year-old man from Temple, TX, and his passenger, a 60-year-old man from Killeen, TX, suffered serious injuries and were transported to an area hospital, he said.
The driver and passenger of the GMC sustained minor injuries, Lebron said.
A State Police investigation was continuing, he said.
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