I-35 closed in Fort Worth after 18-wheeler crashes, catches fire, authorities say
Lanes of Interstate 35W near Keller Hicks Road in north Fort Worth were closed on Wednesday afternoon after an 18-wheeler rock hauler crashed and caught fire, spilling fuel into the road and resulting in a minor injury to the driver, authorities said.
Police and firefighters responded around 1:10 p.m. to the crash with a fire in the 17000 block of I-35 southbound, according to a police call log. It appears a rock hauler was involved in a single-vehicle crash, police said.
Officers were still on the scene as of 2:15 p.m. and lanes remained closed in the Alliance/Gateway area, according to Officer Jimmy Pollozani, a police spokesman. Police said in a tweet in the afternoon drivers should expect lengthy delays and were advised to seek alternate routes.
Medics took the driver, an adult man, to a hospital, according to Matt Zavadsky, a MedStar spokesman. Zavadsky was still trying to determine on Wednesday afternoon if the man was injured in the crash or the fire.
The 18-wheeler was significantly damaged in the fire, according to Mike Drivdahl, a Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman. Diesel fuel spilled on the ground in the crash.
Hazmat crews were working with a contractor on Wednesday afternoon to continue cleaning up.
Though the cause of the fire hasn’t been determined, Drivdahl said it seems it was simply “secondary to that accident.”
This story was originally published November 11, 2020 at 2:45 PM.
