A tanker truck driver was killed after his vehicle exploded in Atwater, California, on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the truck lost control while exiting southbound Highway 99 onto Applegate Road, and overturned, causing his rig to burst into flames around 10 a.m. Black plumes of smoke and large flames could be seen from a distance.
The driver, who worked for Williams Tank Lines, was killed in the accident. He was scheduled to make a delivery at a nearby gas station.
CHP says the tanker truck driver is dead, the only known death here. Applegate exit off 99 closed for two days. #AtwaterFire @ABC30 pic.twitter.com/mMzQddYuhR
— Corin Hoggard (@corinhoggard) May 23, 2017
Nearly 250 people were evacuated from a nearby shopping center after the crash.
“This intersection is going to be down for some time, more than likely we are going to have to figure out an alternate route through the gravel to come up into there,” said Atwater Mayor, Jim Price.
This is what's left of the tanker truck that burned in #Atwater Ca. @ABC30 @corinhoggard pic.twitter.com/FqzEvEPkdH
— Sam Photog (@Sagl123) May 23, 2017
No one else was hurt in the crash. The name of the deceased truck driver has not been released.
Metta Xiong, an employee from a nearby Panda Express restaurant, captured this footage, showing employees and customers fleeing the scene as the fire blazed in the background.
“It was complete chaos..it’s exactly what you would see in the movies. The tanker falls..and everything catches fire,” Xiong told reporters.
According to a preliminary police investigation, the tanker driver may have taken the turn too fast on the highway exit ramp, causing him to lose control before striking several vehicles and overturning.
Some unconfirmed witnesses reports, however, say the truck was on fire before it crashed, and that the driver may have purposely crashed in order to not injure others.
The intersection near the off ramp will be closed indefinitely due to extensive damage. ABC30’s Vanessa Vasconcelos, reported that the area had a “strong smell of burnt asphalt and burnt fuel” the following morning.
