Van filled with NJ school kids erupts in flames on Parkway

WALL – The driver of a transit van carrying students acted quickly on Monday afternoon to get them outside moments before it burst into flames on the Garden State Parkway.

The Ford van with 10 students was headed north on the Parkway near Exit 98 (Route 195)  around 3:20 p.m. when it caught fire. No injuries were reported, State Police Det. Jeffrey Lebron said.

Smoke under the hood

The Lakewood Scoop, which was first to report the incident, said the driver noticed smoke coming from under the hood and pulled over to the shoulder. He made sure the students were safely on the other side of a guard rail.

The van was carrying 6- and 7-year-old children from a Lakewood school to Jackson, according to The Scoop.  Lebron did not disclose the name of the school and no identifying information was displayed on the outside of the van.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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