HAMILTON TOWNSHIP – A hydrogen tank explosion seriously injured a Pennsylvania man Friday, May 4 and clogged up traffic near the Hamilton Mall for three hours.

John Deininger, 40, of Swarthmore, Pa., suffered serious injuries when the hydrogen tank he was transporting exploded at 10:53 a.m. at the intersection of Wrangleboro Road and the Atlantic City Expressway Access Road, police said.

Deininger, a Franklin Institute employee, told police he noticed a leak and stopped his car at the approach to the expressway, police said.

When Deininger opened the rear hatch, the tank exploded and destroyed the car, police said. The explosion was so large that the back of the car looked as though it had been rear-ended by a much larger vehicle.

Passersby used fire extinguishers to put out the resulting blaze, police said.

Deininger was transported by AtlantiCare paramedics to the trauma unit at the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Campus.

The vehicle is owned by the Franklin Institute, police said.  Deininger was transporting the tank which was used for a presentation.

Crews from Atlantic County Hazmat and the Cologne and Laureldale fire departments assisted at the scene.

Traffic was reduced in the area for nearly three hours, police said.