A truck driver was killed after a being struck by an SUV and overturning in Mobile, Alabama, on Tuesday afternoon.
The accident happened on the northbound lanes of Interstate 65 at Airport Boulverard, around 12:48 p.m.
Mobile Police Department’s Public Affairs Officer Charlette Solis issued the following statement about the crash:
“Preliminary investigation shows that a Toyota Sequoia entered I-65 from EB Airport Blvd and struck a Volvo tractor trailer tanker that was travelling NB on I-65. The tanker swerved left, jackknifed, struck the overhead sign posts anchored to the median wall, and overturned over the median in the SB lanes of I-65. The driver of the tanker was ejected and pronounced deceased on the scene.”
The impact caused the overhead sign to collapse onto another tractor trailer in the southbound lanes.
I-65 SB at Airport indefinitely closed due to a major accident. Airport Blvd over pass closed as well. Take alternate route. pic.twitter.com/bWS4DGMKxd
— LOCAL 15 (@LOCAL15NEWS) August 29, 2017
Mobile Fire-Rescue evacuated everyone near the crash site because they feared that the truck was carrying hazardous materials. They later determined that the trucking was carrying alkaline, a non-hazardous material, and that the confusion was caused by “incorrect paperwork.”
Truck was carrying wrong paperwork. No hazardous materials on board. Airport Blvd opened back up. I-65 once clean up completed
— Mobile Fire-Rescue (@MobileFRD) August 29, 2017
The highway was shut down in both directions after the crash. As of 5 p.m., all northbound lanes on I-65 were reopened. One southbound lane on I-65 was reopened around 8:00 p.m.
The identities of the drivers involved have not been released.
Local news station AL.com captured the following aerial footage from the scene.