Michigan authorities were forced to implement a full highway shutdown on Saturday after a major accident brought traffic to a standstill. Visuals shared online showed smoke and flames billowing out as officials diverted cars onto a side road. The accident came even as multiple roads in mid-Michigan were closed and flood warnings issued for various parts of the US state.
According to a Fox17 report, a tanker truck carrying some 8,000 gallons of gasoline had crashed while travelling down US-131 in Grand Rapids. Police believe the vehicle that crashed was a semi-truck hauling a gasoline tank. The incident took place after 8:00 am (local time) on Saturday in the southbound lanes of US-131 just south of the I-196 overpass.
“There were two trucks involved, two semi trucks involved. Both were transported with non-life-threatening injuries to a local ER…There were 8,000 gallons of gasoline in the tanker that crashed up against the wall. It was on fire for quite a bit of time before we were able to get it under control utilising our fluorine-free foam,” the publication quoted fire chief Jack Johnson as saying.
The exact cause of the crash which triggered the blaze remains under investigation.
Road closures announced
Emergency crews had closed both directions of the expressway to combat the fire. Local officials were also forced to call for additional resources — including an airport truck that sprayed foam.