A semi truck hauling crude oil caught fire after overturning in Utah on Wednesday, starting a sizeable fire that shut down the highway for several hours.
The accident happened on April 4th at approximately 6:45 a.m. in Strawberry Reservoir, Utah.
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, the semi truck was hauling two pup tanker trailers full of crude oil along Highway 40 in Wasatch County when police say the truck driver fell asleep, causing him to drift over to the right side of the road. The driver then awoke suddenly and overcorrected, flipping one of the trailers and sparking a fire, which quickly turned into a blazing inferno.
“I could see it from a few miles back. I could see the smoke and didn’t know what it was,” said Tara Moreland, a witness to the accident.
Luckily, the truck driver was able to exit his truck and escape the blaze without any injuries. No one else was hurt in the crash.
“He had fallen asleep or dozed off. He had drifted off the right side of the road,” explained Utah Highway Patrol Sergeant Jed Jorgensen.
“He then overcorrected and rolled. The smaller second trailer that he was pulling was the one that rolled [and caught fire],” Jorgensen continued.
ECI #Hazmat Team – HWY 40 MP 42-Crude Tanker Fire Strawberry Reservoir – lengthy cleanup begins. pic.twitter.com/hNRgSrc18p
— John H. Enviro Care (@johnkhart2) April 4, 2018
“Obviously it could’ve been a much bigger disaster with two tanks burning.”
Highway 40 was shut down for several hours as crews worked to put out the fire and contain the oil spilled in the crash but the roadway has since been reopened.
The identity of the truck driver and whether or not he received any citations for the incident has not been released.
