A pickup truck slammed into a tractor trailer parked in an emergency lane on the highway Saturday morning, causing a fatality and a fire that refused to be put out.
It happened on July 15th at around 5:30 a.m. on Interstate 95 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts state police say that a pickup truck was driving in the emergency lane of northbound I-95 at a high rate of speed when it slammed into a disabled semi truck that was parked in the lane for a flat tire. The pickup went partially underneath the semi truck, wedging it beneath the trailer. The impact ignited a fire that engulfed both vehicles, reports MassLive News.
The driver of the semi truck was inside the cab at the time of the accident and suffered minor injuries, but refused immediate medical attention. The pickup driver died in the crash, and his body had to be extricated from the vehicle.
It took firefighters from multiple departments, as well as water and several tanker trucks full of foam to put out the blaze.
An environmental cleanup crew also arrived on the scene, as there were concerns of a leaking fuel tank contaminating storm drains.
The tractor trailer had to be ripped apart and its contents emptied into dump trucks for disposal.
The big rig was hauling cereal, drinks, and other products to a nearby Costco.
Only one lane remained opened on I-95 while crews cleaned up.
The truck was then towed to Sterry Street Towing in South Attleboro, Massachusetts.
According to The Sun Chronicle, at approximately 7:30 a.m., South Attleboro firefighters were called to Sterry Street Towing when the fire in the tractor trailer apparently reignited. The crew fought the fire with water and foam for an hour and a half before it was extinguished.
No injuries were sustained in the second blaze.
It is not known whether drugs or alcohol were involved in the initial crash.
The names of both drivers have not yet been released.
