The crash in Berks County just west of Lehigh County was one of several Tuesday on Interstate 78 in the Lehigh Valley.
A Warren County man was behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer Tuesday morning on Interstate 78 when it was struck from behind by another rig, which burst into flames upon impact, authorities said.
Both drivers escaped serious injury in the crash, one of several Tuesday that slowed traffic on I-78 in the Lehigh Valley region, according to Pennsylvania State Police at Hamburg.
About 75 gallons of diesel fuel and oil spilled onto the highway and the shoulder as a result of the fiery tractor-trailer crash. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection responded to oversee cleanup, police said.
The crash occurred about 11:06 a.m. on I-78 East at mile-marker 43.4 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, between Exit 40 (Route 737) for Kutztown and Exit 45 (Route 863) in Lehigh County.
The highway was closed until about 3:20 p.m., the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said.
CLEARED: Incident cleared on I-78 eastbound between Exit 40 - PA 737 and Exit 45 - PA 863.
-- 511PA Allentown (@511PAAllentown) June 7, 2016
Zaheer U. Haq, 49, of Stewartsville in Greenwich Township, Warren County, had stopped his 1999 Kenworth W900 truck hauling an East trailer containing potting soil, due to eastbound traffic slowing because of a previous crash to the east in Lehigh County, police said.
Upon stopping, Haq was struck from behind in the right lane by a 2015 Freightliner truck hauling a 2016 Transcraft flatbed trailer carrying bushes, according to police.
The Freightliner burst into flames and both tractor-trailers came to a rest in the right lane, police said. Barry E. Peeler, 51, of Catawba, North Carolina, was driving the Freightliner and was able to escape with a minor injury. He refused treatment at the scene, police said.
Haq was uninjured.
Eastbound traffic was diverted at Exit 40 during the hours-long closure.
Assisting at the crash were fire departments from Weisenberg, Upper Macungie and Fogelsville in Lehigh County and Kutztown and Kempton in Berks County, police said, in addition to Berks County Emergency Management and Harrisburg EMS.
Police were continuing to investigate the crash and said charges were pending.
The prior eastbound crash followed a PennDOT dump truck taking down wires about 9 a.m. along I-78 West in Upper Macungie Township.
Also Tuesday, students headed to Dorney Park from a high school in Passaic County, New Jersey, suffered minor injuries in a crash on I-78 West in Lower Saucon Township.
WATCH: Rig sideswipes school bus on I-78
Their bus was trying to get to the right shoulder due to engine problems when it was sideswiped by a tractor-trailer, which then careened into another rig, police said.
Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.