Dashcam footage from a passing car showed a blue sedan bursting into flames just moments after the driver pulled onto the shoulder behind the tanker truck.
As he pulled over, the entire length of road turned into a sea of flame, engulfing another car and incinerating trees and bushes edging the road.
He then dashed out of the car in a desperate bid to escape.
The dramatic footage was taken on Sunday along a motorway in the province of Hebei.
The car filming the scene quickly reversed as it was trying to escape the surging flames.
In the ensuing carnage, two people were seriously burned and another six sustained light injuries, according to local media reports.
The rig’s drivers escaped injury.
The Beijing-Harbin Expressway, where the incident occurred, is a major thoroughfare for trucks carrying coal, LNG, and other commodities, as well as motorists.
The scene occurred ahead of the beginning of Chinese New Year this week, when the country’s roads are packed with people heading home to visit their families.