Tanker Truck Explosion/Accident I-95 South of Baltimore

WJZ Channel 13, Baltimmore | 01/13/2004 | Orbiting_Rosie's_Head

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

Large tanker truck accident and fire on I-95 at the intersection of I-195 near BWI airport. Highway is on fire, lots of wreckage from other trucks and cars.

[Old Sarge]

this is something for homeland security to watch

We are.

For the very reasons you mentioned.

I'm at the Ops Desk now - I'll summarize things as soon as I hear them.

[Jim Noble]

A tanker truck and several automobiles collided and the truck burst into flames around 3 p.m. this afternoon in the northbound lanes of Interstate 95

My baby is southbound. His cellphone is off.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[alancarp]

I like the cameras site... but which specific one is best for this?

[JustPiper]

Part of the missing 8000 gallons of fuel?

[gathersnomoss]

You know, I seem to recall a recent president who was releasing some tension shortly after the funeral of a friend. But then, shortly thereafter, he seemed to become quite upset. When will you show some emotion?

Har!

[OldFriend]

Oh dear, prayers for all involved.

[JustPiper]

It got old long ago, wish it would die out!

[Hatteras]

You are with Homeland Security in the Operation's Center and your posting to FreeRepublic?

[JustPiper]

I was just posting the standard FR lines whenever something big occurs.

But why? It stopped be funny forever ago

[OldFriend]

Sorry, inanity is not standard on FR when there's a tragedy.

[Hatteras]

Your Travel Info link says 4 vehicles involved:

Incident
(Vehicle fire) Howard County
[I-95 AT I-895 X-46] North/South 4 vehicles involved.

Southbound shoulder closed.
Northbound shoulder closed.
4 of 4 Southbound lanes closed.
4 of 4 Northbound lanes closed.

Created: 1/13/2004 2:41:49 PM by TOC4.

[oceanview]

Maybe's he's Tom Ridge! you never know...

[gathersnomoss]

Wow, this site has some unbelievable reach. I wish I could get this rapid service from my wife.

[JustPiper]

ping

[Tolik]

He will sit in traffic for hours. He needs to take another route around, but they will be packed also. Sorry, its a traffic nightmare, besides being a tragedy.

[Old Sarge]

Okay, here's what I've got so far:

- MSP preliminary report: First tanker, hauling petrochem, lost it on the ramp on I-895, rolled into two other tankers, and all three went up;

- Local Emer Mangt. can't ID the contents of the opther tankers, yet;

- At least two, possibly four, other cars were destroyed as a result of the blaze. THERE ARE NO CASUALTY REPORTS YET!

- Anyone in the area, listen to local radio and TV for detour data. The entire area around the crash site is being cordoned off (there's worries of secondary fires), and the new routes should already be broadcast;

- Howard Cty Emerg. Management are the guys on the scene. It's coming in sporadic, but we'll hash it out.

- I-895 and I-95 are being diverted onto fornage and 2ndary roads. Stay alert!!!

[commish]

My apologies to everyone I offended by saying this was hugh. I will never ever again use humor in a horrible situation. I consider myself severely chastised, and will now retire and contemplate my vile wickedness.

[GovernmentShrinker]

A number of years ago, I was sound asleep in White Plains, NY when a propane tanker with a dozing driver hit the supports in an underpass. The thing took off like missile, travelling half a mile and burning down an entire block of houses where it landed. The original explosion sounded like a huge bomb, which woke people for miles around.

I think the underpasses and bridges are common places for these major accidents because of the lack of clear space on the sides. If a tanker drifts off course on the main road, it will most likely just end up rolling in the grass and waking up the driver; maybe it'll overturn, but nothing to make headlines. But when the tanker drifts off the side of a bridge, or into an underpass' support columns, the headline generating explosion is virtually guaranteed.

[John H K]

"Have you noticed that since 9-11, many of the suspicious truck and bus accidents are at or on overpasses and bridges?

Except there haven't been any "suspicious" truck and bus accidents.

These have always happened. I think there have been a couple of tranker truck explosions on I-95 (In PA near the Delaware border, and I think in Connecticut) that have destroyed bridges, I think, in the last 10 years.

The production and transport of flammable liquids and gases will result in them burning or exploding accidentally at regular intervals.

[LizardQueen]

There was one about a year or two ago in the Atlanta area that torched an overpass and closed down both that section of the loop road around Atlanta and the interstate it went over. Sorry, i don't remember the route numbers - I was there on a business trip and got massively lost trying to find my way to where I was going without the use of the highway (maybe it was 400?).

I talked to the people I was visiting a few months later and the roads had just reopened. Apparently the heat from the tanker fire destabilized the bridging and they pretty much had to rebuild the overpass.

LQ