23-year-old man injured, transported to hospital, after his van collides with a tractor-trailer on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on Staten Island.

A man was injured in a fiery crash of a tractor-trailer truck and a van on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge that snarled traffic on the Staten Island Expressway during the height of rush hour on Tuesday morning.

The 23-year-old driver of the van was taken to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze with non-life threatening injuries, said MTA spokeswoman Judie Glave.

The upper level of the span was closed for about two hours as a result of the incident, Ms. Glave said.

According to media reports, there were periodic lane closures on the lower level of the bridge due to smoke and emergency response. All upper and lower lanes were opened by 9 a.m., Ms. Glave said.

Traffic came to a standstill on the Staten Island Expressway eastbound with delays topping out at 1 hour and 24 minutes, according CBS 880, the Advance and other media reports.

At one point traffic was backed up as far as South Avenue. Access roads leading to the Staten Island Expressway eastbound and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge also were clogged with cars and buses during the morning commute.

Media reports indicated delays from the Belt Parkway and the Gowanus Expressway heading toward the span. Traffic on the Staten Island Expressway was back to normal by 10 a.m.

The accident happened at about 7 a.m. on the westbound upper level near the Staten Island anchorage, Ms. Glave said. Preliminary reports indicated that the van may have been disabled and that the truck tried to avoid hitting it but couldn't.

The van was pushed and pinned into the side wall and the truck began leaking hydraulic fuel that set fire to both vehicles, Ms. Glave said.

The Fire Department received a report of the incident shortly before 7 a.m., responded with 12 units and 60 members for a fire that was brought under control within 20 minutes and closed out shortly after 8 a.m., according to Fire Press.

The city Police Department also responded to the incident.