A semi-truck carrying 27,000 pounds of motor oil and related auto care fluids caught fire on eastbound I-90 in Mentor, Ohio early in the morning on June 20, 2011. The fire shut the highway down between State Route 306 and State Route 615.
Mentor police stated that a call for a burning truck came in at 2:14 a.m. on Monday. Fire departments from Mentor, Kirtland and Willoughby responded with water, as there are no fire hydrants near the expressway. It took 45 minutes to extinguish the fire with foam.
A hazmat crew also responded to the scene. The main concern is keeping oil runoff from getting into local water tributaries. Clean up of the oil will take a few days.
The driver of the truck noticed that the trailer was smoking and stopped his rig just before the fire engulfed the trailer. He was able to disconnect the truck from the trailer and pull away from it before the fire reached him. His actions prevented the accident from becoming a fatality.
Witness in hotels near the crash said they heard two explosions. The cause of the fire is unknown.
If you have had an accident with a commercial vehicle, and are interested in learning about legal options, contact a Cincinnati truck accident lawyer for more information.
If you have been injured or have lost a loved one as a result of another person's negligence, you deserve to be fully compensated for your losses. The simple fact is that you should not be forced to pay the price for another person's careless or reckless actions.