Fiery tanker truck crash on Hwy. 75 in Plano injures 2
2 hurt in fiery crash in Plano
A good Samaritan rescued the driver of the tanker truck that was on fire. He was delivering supplies to the nearby Costco when he saw the accident happened. He ran over and pulled the driver out of the tanker truck as it was burning. Thanks to his quick actions, that driver suffered minor injuries.
PLANO, Texas - Several lanes of the Central Expressway in Collin County have reopened following a large tanker truck fire that shut down the busy highway.
The crash happened around 5 a.m. Wednesday in the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 75 near Parker Road in Plano.
Police said the driver of the tanker truck lost control for some reason and started to slide. The truck flipped on its side and burst into flames. It also collided with a passenger car.
A big rig that swerved to avoid the wreck collided with a fourth car.
The driver of the tanker truck and the driver of another vehicle were taken to the hospital. Police have only said their injuries are non-life-threatening.
The Plano Fire Department explained its strategy for dealing with the burning fuel.
"We're just letting it burn. It's the cleanest and easiest thing to do. If we start putting water on it, and then it drains into the sewer system then we have to worry about the water getting contaminated," said Capt. Michael Carr with Plano Fire-Rescue.
"Naturally, we know that things could have been a whole lot worse," said Plano Officer Andre Smith.
The four-vehicle crash, which happened at the start of the morning rush hour, caused quite a headache for commuters. All northbound lanes were shut down for hours.
Sky4 captured video of the backup. At 9:30 a.m., it was about five miles long.
Firefighters were on standby just in case the fire spread.
The heat from the flames added to the already hot temperatures brought on by an Excessive Heat Warning still in effect for North Texas.
"Staying hydrated, and we'll monitor them every so often. Take vital signs on them to make sure they're doing good," Carr said.
Plano PD provided some drone pictures of the wreck. You can see some of the right-hand lanes appeared charred.
A Plano hazmat crew remained on scene until the fire put itself out.
A good Samaritan rescued the driver of the tanker truck that was on fire. He was delivering supplies to the nearby Costco when he saw the accident happened. He ran over and pulled the driver out of the tanker truck as it was burning. Thanks to his quick actions, that driver suffered minor injuries.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
All lanes are now back open.
Plano police also asked anyone who witnessed the crash to contact them at 972-424-5678.