Drivers have been advised to avoid Interstate 10 in El Paso until Saturday evening following a fiery semi truck crash that seriously damaged a utility bridge.
The accident happened on the afternoon of Thursday, July 19th in El Paso, Texas.
According to the trucking company, White Mountain Trucking, the truck driver was traveling along I-10 east near Mesa Street when he reached into the passenger seat for a water bottle, causing him to lose control of the tractor trailer, go up an embankment, and come to a stop with the cab of the truck draped over a utility bridge carrying water, telephone, electrical, and gas lines before bursting into flames.
The truck driver was able to escape the fiery wreck on his own and was hospitalized for a short time for minor injuries but was released later that day, reported ABC 7 News.
“He was reaching over for a bottle of water in the passenger seat when he hit a concrete barrier. I’m glad he is okay and there is no one else involved. He was able to walk away from it. It was a miracle in and of itself,” said the spokesman for White Mountain Trucking.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that the semi truck was hauling sand to Phoenix, Arizona at the time of the wreck and that the company has been involved with a serious accident before – a fatal one within the last two years, though details on that accident have not been released.
Crews are now working to inspect the bridge, which has been seriously damaged with several beams broken apart and scattered in pieces along the highway.
Officials have advised drivers to avoid the area for at least 24 hours following the wreck, but suggest avoiding I-10 altogether until Saturday evening.
