A fiery collision between a sedan and a tanker shut down part of the New England Thruway Tuesday, but both drivers fortunately survived.

Fire officials say rain may have caused the woman behind the wheel of the sedan to loose control of her vehicle and slide underneath the fuel truck near exit 13 off I-95 northbound. The collision, which occurred around 11 a.m., ended in an eruption of flames.

"The position the car hit was the worst possible position," said a fire chief. "All the piping where they load and unload the tanker itself is where the car made direct contact."

Responders laid a sandy-looking foam over the car and tanker to help extinguish the flames, fearing that the piping could crack. They also pumped 7,500 gallons of diesel oil from the tanker to avert a major disaster.

The woman managed to escape with the help of the tanker driver, according to witnesses. She was transported to Jacobi Medical Center in stable condition. The truck driver was not injured.Traffic was backed up for about two miles.