The driver of a tanker truck died Tuesday afternoon when his vehicle burst into flames after crashing on a Houston highway.
Witnesses said the tanker driver was speeding on Houston’s Interstate 610 North Loop when he took the Irvington Boulevard exit and crashed, according to Houston Police Department Cmdr. Kevin Deese during a press conference.
“The truck may have been traveling at a high rate of speed, lost control and ended up on its side,” Deese said. “The truck was carrying ethanol and it erupted into flames.”
The tanker was destroyed and the fire spread to a nearby home, causing damage to a garage structure. There was one person in the house, but that individual was not injured, Deese said.
The driver and the tanker company have not been identified.
Houston Fire Department crews put the fire out, but there were several flare-ups during the afternoon. A portion of the highway was closed for more than six hours.
A hazmat crew was sent to help collect the ethanol and clean up the spill.
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