Authorities in Columbus, Ohio, were forced to shut several lanes on Interstate 270 on Sunday after a fuel tanker full of an estimated 8,500 gallons of gasoline overturned and began an enormous fire. In accordance with local police, though, the crash and resulting fire weren’t necessarily the driving force’s fault. As an alternative, they blame the driving force of a black pickup truck, who authorities are still trying to find, WBNS 10 TV reports.
Initial reports suggested the pickup truck driver cut off the tanker, causing it to crash, but police now say it was greater than just a little bad driving. In accordance with the newest report, the truck was driving beside the tanker and lost control, hitting the fuel tanker and causing it to crash right into a guardrail. The tanker then flipped on its side and caught fire. As an alternative of stopping to envision on the driving force of the tanker truck, the pickup truck driver kept driving.
Thankfully, the tanker truck’s driver was not killed in the hearth and only suffered minor injuries. Emergency responders took him to a close-by hospital for treatment and was listed in “stable” condition, although it is not clear if he’s been released or not. No other injuries have been reported presently.
Hit-and-run
Along with filling the sky with black smoke, the hearth also forced emergency responders to shut the off-ramp to Route 161, in addition to all of the eastbound lanes of Route 161 for 15 hours, as they worked to place out the hearth, then clean up the debris and evaluate any possible damage the crash could have caused. The tanker overturned at about 1:40 p.m. on Sunday, and the road didn’t reopen until 5:35 a.m. Monday morning, after officials determined the ramp had not been damaged enough to warrant closing it to traffic.
The motive force who fled the scene of the hit-and-run within the black pickup truck, nevertheless, continues to be at large. Unfortunately, authorities have little information on the truck, aside from its color and reports that it was seen heading east on Route 161. Because it collided with the tanker before speeding off, it could likely have damage on the side, but authorities still have yet to locate either the truck or the driving force. Local cops are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Columbus Police Department or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers.
Hopefully, the driving force turns themselves in, as their reckless driving could easily have killed someone. This can be removed from the one time a fuel tanker crash has caused a big fire. Back in 2015, a mattress on the road caused an explosion on the Latest Jersey Turnpike, and in 2021, a fuel tanker hit a median in Troy, Michigan, igniting 14,000 gallons of fuel. Moreover, in 2023, a burning tanker took out a part of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia. So while it’s best to drive safely regardless of what, it’s best to even be especially cautious around fuel tankers. Most automobile crashes don’t lead to Hollywood-style explosions, but in case you hit a fuel truck, you possibly can easily create yet one more exception to that rule and possibly kill someone.
This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
