OAN’s James Meyers
9:30 AM – Thursday, May 2, 2024
A tractor-trailer filled with thousands of gallons of gasoline exploded into a mammoth fire Thursday morning on the I-95 highway in Connecticut.
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The explosion shut down both sides of the major East Coast artery after a semi-truck carrying 8,500 gallons of gas (about 32,000 liters) crashed into a tractor trailer and a car at about 5:30 a.m., according to News 8 Connecticut.
Governor Ned Lamont (D-Conn.) stated that there were no serious injuries. He did also claim that there are large traffic jams near the Norwalk crash site and said drivers should avoid the area or stay home.
Additionally, text alerts were sent to residents of Connecticut and New York, as well as trucking companies were told to find alternative routes for travel, Lamont said.
“I know what an incredible inconvenience this is for people and all I can ask you to do is stay away from that area as best you can,” he said during a briefing in Hartford. “The traffic jams are horrendous.”
In Thursdays’ chaotic accident, the overpass was damaged but appeared to be “stable and safe,” said Scott Hill, chief engineer for the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
“Gasoline can really heat up and heat the bridge up and cause the steel to deform,” he said. “Once we figure out everything that’s associated with the safety of the traveling public and what we can and can’t do, we’ll get more updates to you.”
According to News 8 Connecticut, local hazmat teams and other authorities arrived at the crash site to clean up the hazardous material.
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