Tanker driver killed in fiery wreck in Hurst

A tanker crashed on Loop 820 in Hurst early Saturday morning, killing the driver and forcing officials to shut the highway down for hours.

Hurst Battalion Chief Mark Gray said the tanker, which was carrying gasoline, crashed on the side of the southbound lanes of Loop 820 near Texas 10 about 4:30 a.m. The driver, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The truck, which came to a stop upside down or on its side, was “fully involved” in fire when emergency responders arrived, Gray said. The gasoline pooled in a drainage ditch, burning.

Firefighters “went with a controlled burn so it kept the product out of waterways,” Gray said.

Officials shut down Loop 820 in both directions for several hours. At 9 a.m., they re-opened northbound lanes but kept the southbound lanes closed until about 2:30 p.m.

Hurst Assistant Police Chief Richard Waystanley said crews needed to inspect under the roadway, because the gasoline got into a drainage culvert and it was possible that the intense heat of the fire may have caused structural damage.

A nearby motel was evacuated for a short period of time as a precaution, but it wasn’t believed they were in danger, Gray said.

It was not immediately known what caused the crash. No other vehicles were involved, and the driver was the sole occupant of the tanker.

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 9:21 AM with the headline "Tanker driver killed in fiery wreck in Hurst."