CONT. COVERAGE: Deadly tanker explosion in my hometown!
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TexasStooge
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CONT. COVERAGE: Deadly tanker explosion in my hometown!
IRVING, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The eastbound lanes of Highway 183 at MacArthur Boulevard in Irving are closed because of a deadly tanker crash and fire that damaged the bridge this morning. Watch News 8 and WFAA.com for the latest.
Last edited by TexasStooge on Tue May 31, 2005 8:36 am, edited 2 times in total.
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TexasStooge
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- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Tanker crash shuts down busy freeway
IRVING, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A deadly tanker crash and fire is expected to tie up traffic along busy Highway 183 at McArthur Boulevard in Irving for the next two weeks.
Police said the 18-wheeler traveling east on the freeway collided with a pickup truck about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. The gasoline tanker then careened off the overpass and hit the ground, exploding in a ball of fire and killing the truck's driver.
Three Irving firefighters suffered minor burns battling the flames.
Texas Department of Transportation engineers said intense heat from the burning tanker truck damaged the Highway 183 bridge, causing portions of it to crack.
The eastbound lanes of the bridge will be closed for repaird for the next two weeks.
Westbound lanes are open, but state officials said they may have to close that section if engineers determine that the entire bridge is in danger of buckling.
An Irving hazardous materials team remained at the scene to clean up the remaining spilled fuel.
Irving police were questioning the second driver involved in the crash.
The identity of the dead truck driver was not released.
Comcast said the accident caused an outage for some of its cable TV, Internet and telephone customers in the area. A representative said service was expected to be restored by noon.
Highway 183, also popularly known as the Airport Expressway, is the key artery linking Dallas and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. It's also one of three primary routes between Dallas and Tarrant counties.
On Tuesday, a tanker truck hauling volatile dry cleaning fluid crashed and exploded in flames at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 45. Police said the driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel.
Those in DFW area, Watch News 8 at 6 and the News 8 Update at 10 o'clock for a complete report.
WFAA-TV's Gerardo Lopez and Robert Flagg contributed to this report.
IRVING, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A deadly tanker crash and fire is expected to tie up traffic along busy Highway 183 at McArthur Boulevard in Irving for the next two weeks.
Police said the 18-wheeler traveling east on the freeway collided with a pickup truck about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. The gasoline tanker then careened off the overpass and hit the ground, exploding in a ball of fire and killing the truck's driver.
Three Irving firefighters suffered minor burns battling the flames.
Texas Department of Transportation engineers said intense heat from the burning tanker truck damaged the Highway 183 bridge, causing portions of it to crack.
The eastbound lanes of the bridge will be closed for repaird for the next two weeks.
Westbound lanes are open, but state officials said they may have to close that section if engineers determine that the entire bridge is in danger of buckling.
An Irving hazardous materials team remained at the scene to clean up the remaining spilled fuel.
Irving police were questioning the second driver involved in the crash.
The identity of the dead truck driver was not released.
Comcast said the accident caused an outage for some of its cable TV, Internet and telephone customers in the area. A representative said service was expected to be restored by noon.
Highway 183, also popularly known as the Airport Expressway, is the key artery linking Dallas and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. It's also one of three primary routes between Dallas and Tarrant counties.
On Tuesday, a tanker truck hauling volatile dry cleaning fluid crashed and exploded in flames at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 45. Police said the driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel.
Those in DFW area, Watch News 8 at 6 and the News 8 Update at 10 o'clock for a complete report.
WFAA-TV's Gerardo Lopez and Robert Flagg contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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- Posts: 38127
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Tanker crash shuts down busy freeway
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas — A deadly tanker crash and fire could snarl traffic along busy Highway 183 at McArthur Boulevard in Irving for the next two weeks.
Police said an 18-wheeler traveling east on the freeway collided with a pickup truck about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. The pickup spun around while the gasoline tanker careened off the overpass and hit the ground, 13 feet below, exploding in a ball of fire.
The tanker truck driver, identified only as a 34-year-old man from Cedar Hill, was killed.
Three Irving firefighters suffered minor burns battling the flames.
Witnesses reported hearing several explosions after the impact. "I was asleep when I heard the first explosion, and thought maybe it was thunder," said Jerry Traughber, who looked out the window and saw a large, black cloud of smoke.
He ran to the scene and began taking pictures. "You could feel the heat from a couple of blocks away," Traughber said.
Texas Department of Transportation engineers said intense heat from the burning tanker truck damaged the Highway 183 bridge, causing portions of it to crack.
"Gasoline gives a very powerful heat, a very strong heat," said TXDoT engineer Anthony Okafur. "The fire caused a lot of damage."
Engineers will perform tests on the bridge to see if the concrete is safe. If not, they'll have to rebuild it.
"The way the bridge is designed is a continuous beam," Okafur said. "There's no way you can break half of it and build half of it."
That process, Okafur said, could take weeks or even months.
Irving police said the driver of the pickup truck involved in the crash, 21-year-old Rudy Cerda-Coronado of San Antonio, faces a charge of intoxication-manslaughter because there are indications that he had been drinking.
Westbound lanes of Highway 183 reopened at 11:15 a.m. but eastbound lanes remained closed during the day. Officials reopened all service roads and one eastbound lane of the highway by Saturday night, but they said all MacArthur Boulevard traffic will have to detour around the underpass until at least Tuesday.
An Irving hazardous materials team remained at the scene through the morning hours to clean up the remaining spilled fuel before heavy rains later in the day could wash it into the sewer system.
The accident brought business to a standstill for merchants at the normally-busy intersection. For several hours, the only way to get in or out of the area was on foot. Baylor Medical Center at Irving, restaurants and several retailers were affected.
Comcast said the accident caused an outage for some of its cable TV, Internet and telephone customers in the area. A representative said service was expected to be restored by noon.
Highway 183, also popularly known as Airport Expressway, is the key artery linking Dallas and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. It's also one of three primary routes between Dallas and Tarrant counties.
Irving police said alternate routes include S.H. 114 to the north through Irving and Interstate 30 to the south through Grand Prairie.
On Tuesday, a tanker truck hauling 33,000 gallons of volatile dry cleaning fluid crashed and exploded in flames at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 45. Police said the driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel. He remained hospitalized on Saturday night.
Following an inspection by highway engineers, the overpass was reopened.
WFAA-TV's Gerardo Lopez, Robert Flagg and Jolene DeVito contributed to this report.
Photo by Jerry Traughber / WFAA ABC 8
Witnesses said the fire's intense heat could be felt blocks away.
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas — A deadly tanker crash and fire could snarl traffic along busy Highway 183 at McArthur Boulevard in Irving for the next two weeks.
Police said an 18-wheeler traveling east on the freeway collided with a pickup truck about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. The pickup spun around while the gasoline tanker careened off the overpass and hit the ground, 13 feet below, exploding in a ball of fire.
The tanker truck driver, identified only as a 34-year-old man from Cedar Hill, was killed.
Three Irving firefighters suffered minor burns battling the flames.
Witnesses reported hearing several explosions after the impact. "I was asleep when I heard the first explosion, and thought maybe it was thunder," said Jerry Traughber, who looked out the window and saw a large, black cloud of smoke.
He ran to the scene and began taking pictures. "You could feel the heat from a couple of blocks away," Traughber said.
Texas Department of Transportation engineers said intense heat from the burning tanker truck damaged the Highway 183 bridge, causing portions of it to crack.
"Gasoline gives a very powerful heat, a very strong heat," said TXDoT engineer Anthony Okafur. "The fire caused a lot of damage."
Engineers will perform tests on the bridge to see if the concrete is safe. If not, they'll have to rebuild it.
"The way the bridge is designed is a continuous beam," Okafur said. "There's no way you can break half of it and build half of it."
That process, Okafur said, could take weeks or even months.
Irving police said the driver of the pickup truck involved in the crash, 21-year-old Rudy Cerda-Coronado of San Antonio, faces a charge of intoxication-manslaughter because there are indications that he had been drinking.
Westbound lanes of Highway 183 reopened at 11:15 a.m. but eastbound lanes remained closed during the day. Officials reopened all service roads and one eastbound lane of the highway by Saturday night, but they said all MacArthur Boulevard traffic will have to detour around the underpass until at least Tuesday.
An Irving hazardous materials team remained at the scene through the morning hours to clean up the remaining spilled fuel before heavy rains later in the day could wash it into the sewer system.
The accident brought business to a standstill for merchants at the normally-busy intersection. For several hours, the only way to get in or out of the area was on foot. Baylor Medical Center at Irving, restaurants and several retailers were affected.
Comcast said the accident caused an outage for some of its cable TV, Internet and telephone customers in the area. A representative said service was expected to be restored by noon.
Highway 183, also popularly known as Airport Expressway, is the key artery linking Dallas and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. It's also one of three primary routes between Dallas and Tarrant counties.
Irving police said alternate routes include S.H. 114 to the north through Irving and Interstate 30 to the south through Grand Prairie.
On Tuesday, a tanker truck hauling 33,000 gallons of volatile dry cleaning fluid crashed and exploded in flames at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 45. Police said the driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel. He remained hospitalized on Saturday night.
Following an inspection by highway engineers, the overpass was reopened.
WFAA-TV's Gerardo Lopez, Robert Flagg and Jolene DeVito contributed to this report.
Photo by Jerry Traughber / WFAA ABC 8
Witnesses said the fire's intense heat could be felt blocks away.
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