A tanker capsizes in Connecticut after a car tire explodes, killing the driver
Fuel tanker explodes on Connecticut bridge, driver killed in nearby tire puncture, car occupants survive after truck containing 22,000 gallons of fuel overturns
- Authorities have confirmed one person has died after the tanker capsized on the Gold Star Memorial Bridge.
- Connecticut State Police also confirmed there was a building on fire under the bridge.
A nearby car trying to cross a bridge in Connecticut suffered a flat tire and crashed into the back of a truck, causing a fuel tanker to explode and the driver to die.
The tragedy struck Friday at the Gold Star Memorial Bridge in Groton, where the vehicle and its occupants were rear-ended by a tanker after an explosion.
It exploded in a giant fireball, killing an unidentified driver and closing down I-95.
The occupants of the car that hit the tanker were injured but survived and have not been named.
Dramatic footage showed a column of smoke rising from the bridge while the fire continued to burn.
It lies just a few thousand feet from the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean, across the River Thames.
Emergency crews fight fires after a vehicle collapsed Friday morning in Groton, Connecticut.
Another disturbing image shows flames and smoke billowing from a bridge and was taken from a car driving past Inferno
The driver of the overturned truck was later confirmed dead.Two passengers injured in tanker overturned after tire puncture survived
Connecticut State Police tweeted this photo of fire engines and first responders at the site of a bridge fire that crosses the River Thames and is just thousands of feet from the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean.
This photo shows the intensity of the flames at that height, with a huge cloud of black smoke captured over a clear blue sky
The Department of Transportation has closed the road between Exits 86 and 84, and the south side of the bridge has been closed for structural inspections.
Sergeant Joseph Pelchat of the New London Police Department said, “Both lanes of Interstate 95 are closed and the bridge is closed to traffic due to a serious car accident on the Gold Star Bridge. possible delays are expected.
Connecticut police also confirmed that a building was on fire under a bridge, and injuries were reported, though the severity of the injuries is unknown.
Groton Mayor Keith Kedrick said part of the guardrail had melted in the fire, requiring engineers to enter and assess the south side of the bridge.
The naval submarine base at New London dispatched a fire brigade to extinguish the fire, but was unaffected by the fire and did not affect sub-bases that could be used for normal operations.
Footage shows flames moving down the side of a bridge as emergency services fight to contain it
As the flames continued to burn, a huge column of smoke could be seen from miles away.
The south side of the bridge remains closed due to fire damage to the building
Another photo, taken from a distance, shows how big the tanker fire was, killing one person and injuring two.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12000171/At-one-person-killed-fuel-tanker-EXPLODES-Connecticut-bridge.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 A tanker capsizes in Connecticut after a car tire explodes, killing the driver