Gasoline Tanker Explodes On I-75 North Of Detroit (VIDEO)

HAZEL PARK, Mich. — Flames shot hundreds of feet into the air after a gasoline tanker exploded Wednesday night underneath a highway overpass near Detroit, collapsing part of the overpass onto the interstate below. Spilled fuel burned on the road as fire crews doused it with water.

One minor injury was reported, Michigan State Police Lt. Shannon Sims said. The tanker driver was alive and accounted for, but Sims would not say whether that was the injured person.

WATCH VIDEO:

The tanker was headed northbound on Interstate 75, the area's major north-south freeway, when it exploded beneath the 9 Mile Road overpass about 8 p.m., Sims said. The fire about 10 miles north of downtown Detroit was extinguished shortly before 11 p.m., he said.

"We don't know exactly what caused the explosion, but it did explode," he said.

Sims said authorities did not know whether other vehicles were involved, but television images showed a wrecked, burned tractor-trailer near the destroyed tanker. Flames and black, billowing plumes of smoke reached 150 to 200 feet into the air.

Police ordered dozens of onlookers gathered along the top of embankments along the crash site to move back to avoid exposure to toxic smoke. Some watched from a nearby pedestrian overpass.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said about 100 law enforcement personnel were on the scene, along with helicopters and the sheriff department's mobile command center.

Comments

[Gayrove]

Not a smart reporter! Nine Mile Road gets its name, as does Eight Mile Road (right on the border of Detroit & Ferndale), Seven Mile Road, and Six Mile Road and Five Mile Road, from its distance from a point on the OPPOSITE side of Detroit. For the writer to write that the explosion was "about 10 miles" from Detroit" is ABSURD!

[Michigan-Woman]

The speed limit on this curve is 50mph. A car, traveling about 70mph, lost control and sideswiped the tanker. This caused the cab to seperate from the tanker and the tanker overturned and exploded. This happend under an overpass. The flames shot up 150 to 200ft in the air. Eventually, the heat and flames caused part of the overpass to collapse. This overpass was just replaced in 2008.

As of this morning, there were still hot spots and the fire dept. is still there, spraying foam.

It is truly a miracle that no one was hurt seriously. The Detroit Free Press wrote that the driver of the tanker was taken to the hospital to be treated last night and released.

[LeeX]

This is just about the worst possible spot to have an accident like this. I-75 is the only major artery from Detroit to Oakland County. Of course, with this being a really treacherous section with the sharp curve and bad visibility (try riding a motorcycle here!), it was likely to happen. The roadways around Detroit are really in a bad way, with 100's of old dilapidated overpasses likely to fail spontaneously. With automobiles being the only mode of transportation there, this is particularly painful.

[ajm8127]

I'm no fireman, but i doubt they tried to put a gasoline fire out with water.

[OpalSky42]

I would guess they used fire retardant foam, since no one with an ounce of sense uses water to try to douse a gas or oil fire.

[alleycat32]

After the State of Michigan laid off 100 State Police every freeway in the state has become a race track.

It is nothing to see a big truck in the middle lane and a big truck passing it in the left lane.

Good job GRANHOLM.

[gascelebrations]

And at the same time, we're building a BRAND NEW STATE POLICE HEADQUARTERS over budget!!! One that is hardly needed, especially since now we don't have the personnel to actually put in it!

[Tazru]

I live in Michigan. We have Engler and the Republican controlled legislature to than. We were "Englerized" for decades while maintenance was neglected, it is the Republican way to externalize the costs. It generally takes more time and money to recover from such neglect than it did to get in that condition. Cutting costs for short-term gain tends to have a negative impact on the long-term.

[jack34]

I live in Michigan too, and I agree completely with your assessment. People don't seem to get that the Republicans rob the coffers, outsource jobs, etc., then leave an empty shell of infrastructure and funding. Someone has to clean it up, and that is what the Dems do. Granholm has had her hands tied by what she inherited, and a Repub controlled State Government for a very long time.

By the way, taxes pay for local, State, and Federal services. Hmmmm, I wonder why all the States have cut back on police, fire, roads, etc? Because Repubs rob from the poor and give to the rich. Also - FYI it doesn't trickle down, they hoard and mise.

[Michigan-Woman]

...And just how is this Gov. Granholm's fault?

How about the careless speeder who sideswiped the truck?!

[TheWorldNeedsObama]

This morning the Detroit News is reporting that a driver of a car was speeding through the curve just north of the 9 mile bridge - a curve with a posted speed limit of 50 MPH - lost control of his vehicle and sideswiped the tanker truck, causing the truck to hit the median and the cab became detached from the tanker. The tanker ended up striking the support of the 9 mile road overpass where it came to a stop and burned. This was from a statement of a witness who was driving a Meijer truck behind the two vehicles. The Meijer truck driver was able to take evasive action to move away from the tanker, but was involved in the crash anyway. They are saying that had he not been paying attention, the crash would have been even worse (can't imagine that!). Amazingly, there were no fatalities - everyone involved escaped with only minor injuries, including the driver of the tanker. That section of I-75 is a very narrow stretch of road that has a mean curve - with nowhere to go except into the median. I've seen folks speed through there regularly. This will be a real headache for commuters as I-75 is the main artery from the northern suburbs into Detroit. Ironically there isn't much commuting traffic these days as so many people are out of work and don't need to drive to a job.

[Passenger57]

Make that speeder guy pay for the cleanup and repair of the highway!

[Chad53916]

The bridge collapsed?! Gasoline can't burn that hot. It must have been an inside job! -lol

[Beowolf741]

I was driving home south from Opdike and I-75 on I-75 and I could tell it was something big.

[LadyLL]

Thank God that my Pops was not at hazel park tonight and was home off of E. 7 mile texting me here in southern Cali. Love u Pops and Penny!!!

[Agentlady007]

On 9/11, in one instance, we knew every possible means of stopping the tragedy of people trapped in our NYC buildings victims from the terror attacks that enraged us into a state of danger alert, on levels of government that made us forever victims of our deepest fears. We ask ourselves as people as a whole affected human race, why we all have to suffer? Is this a Holy war, or is this a real angry example of some other group of people who actually feel apathy toward all Americans. Well, how can one whole nation unable to even communicate or understand our language, think this is ethical? Certainly on a global stand, it won't fly, to the intellectual dignitary honored officials in place to make decisions for the most number of people involved, and these resistance groups better understand the ethics before hand in history of sacrifice to torchure well beyond a 2500 or more building disaster to make us at their mercy. We say more bodies on the road from Hitlers men, and they even claim he did not know what his soldiers were doing. Do you honestly nbelieve Hussein was innocent? Those people still wear shoes, and yet, they walk on the streets, and now have no conscience...and I want to still know why.....

[gascelebrations]

It's Sky Saxon!!!

[Tazru]

Why are there so many Sarah Palin impersonators?

Is this going to get like Elvis?

Ack!

[OpalSky42]

Wow, talk about off topic! What has that to do with a tanker truck explosion that will make commuting to and from Detroit a major pain in the tuchas for some time? (Although, you do a mean riff on Palin's incoherent word salad. I actually have NO idea what you're burbling about.)

[patrickmcdougal]

"10's of thousands of gallons of gasoline" ????
How big was this truck????
hahaha

[neutrino74]

I grew up in that area. I recall that as I-75 passed under 9 mile road it went through a fairly sharp S curve. Wonder if that contributed to the accident?

[Johnagain]

I too grew up in that area. I've passed under that bridge (the older version of it) thousands of times on my way back and forth to WSU, usually going very fast. This is the kind of accident I might expect to happen when raining or in the winter.

[SpaghettyIrish]

Good to read the driver is alive. I feared the worst.

[OneTop]

I wonder what happened to cause it to explode ?

Even OBL wouldn't hang out south of 10 mile.

[batterycharged]

Something ran into the truck causing it to overturn. Amazingly the drive walked away.

[Agentlady007]

Maybe Iran or Iraq is upset their plane crashed and they blame our pilots? God only knows...

[marxmarv]

Put the bottle down, sweetcheeks.

[batterycharged]

I was one of the gawkers. I rode my bike over to see it. Quite a scene.