A burning fire broke out in a tanker truck transporting gasoline in Texas, on Sunday morning, after it collided with another vehicle and collided with power lines, leaving the truck driver in critical condition.
Fort Worth, Texas — A Texas tanker truck transporting gasoline broke out in a fire Sunday after colliding with another vehicle and hitting power lines, leaving the truck’s driver in critical condition, Fort Worth authorities said.
The 18-wheeler was carrying 9,000 gallons of gasoline, which began leaking after the truck ran off the road near a gas station. Downed power lines caused the fire around 1 a.m., Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Craig Trojasik said.
“The driver of the 18-wheeler was trying to do everything he could to prevent gas from leaking into the parking lot of the Valero gas station when it went out,” Trujacek said.
The driver was taken to the hospital with burns, but no one else was injured, Trujacek said. He added that firefighting teams spent hours spraying the tanker with water and used sand to try to contain the gasoline. Firefighters left the scene around seven in the morning
Videos of the fire show what appears to be the front part of the truck engulfed in flames with plumes of smoke rising.
One witness, Billy Moss, said he was staying with a friend nearby when he heard a “loud crash” and looked outside.
“The fire spread quickly, and you could feel the heat even from a distance. It was very intense,” Moss said.