Truck Explodes on I-5 in Lynnwood, WA

Northwest Cable News ^

[Ramius]

A tanker traveling northbound exploded shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday near 212th St in Lynwood, Wash., Snohomish County. Firefighters are the scene. The highway is closed in both directions, causing severe backups. Drivers are urged to avoid the area.

[Ramius]

Other info is sketchy. If anyone is registered with nwcn, can you post the whole story please?

[Support Free Republic]

Hi Mom!

[Joe Hadenuf]

Sounds like a collision of some type.....

[lelio]

Thanks for posting! I was just about to go up in that area.
Bah, who needs the traffic channel when you have FR!

[Ramius]

Witness called in to NWCN... said that the tanker seemed to slow down and move right. It rubbed up against the guard rail, then exploded just as it stopped.

There was a report that the driver may have escaped the blast. Not confirmed yet.

Explosion appears to have happened as the truck was on an overpass. One witness claimed that fuel was running off the bridge and falling below.

[Ramius]

Traffic is totally backed up for miles in both directions. Both N and S sides of the freeway are closed.

[Ramius]

Ping!

[lelio]

Watching NWCN right now. Sounds like it is a gasoline carting truck.

[Ramius]

Doesn't appear to have been a collision. Truck just slowed and moved over and then exploded.

They are speculating (and that's all it is) that the driver may have fallen asleep.

they're talking about it as a gasoline tanker, but that hasn't been confirmed.

A foam truck from nearby Boeing 747 plant in Everett was brought in to fight the fire.

[July 4th]

FOX News had the live traffic cam for a few minutes. That must have been one hell of an explosion.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Doesn't appear to have been a collision. Truck just slowed and moved over and then exploded. They are speculating (and that's all it is) that the driver may have fallen asleep. they're talking about it as a gasoline tanker, but that hasn't been confirmed.

Uh, er if the driver fell asleep, would the truck not crash into something? You know a collison with a fixed object or another vehicle?

[lelio]

The DOT "has a plan" to move everyone around the area. Uh huh, this is going to be a complete mess. Bridge expectors to come out, it looks like it happened partly on an overpass.
Knowing the speed of construction around here this could take months. If its anything like the Magnolia Bridge after the earthquake they'll say "The bridge is unsafe" but then open it up a couple weeks later as there's no other way to get around it.

[Ramius]

Yes... one hell of an explosion. Or rather... several explosions. Seems the tanker has several partitions, and a trailer. Each looks like it went separately.

It's a hell of a mess now.

[Ramius]

They're confirming that the driver did survive. His family called in to confirm that.

His boss also called in, said that he was on the phone with him at the time it happened. Looks like he wasn't sleeping.

[lelio]

A foam truck from nearby Boeing 747 plant in Everett was brought in to fight the fire.

Sounds like that's the only thing that kept this from being Really Bad. Fire dept truck ran out of water. Course water on a gas fire probably isn't good. Burned for 45 minutes before the foam truck got there.

Now a lot of black smoke. NWCN reporting the truck driver is okay.

[Ramius]

would the truck not crash into something? You know a collison with a fixed object or another vehicle?

It would appear that it didn't crash into anything, other than maybe the guard rail.

[Threepwood]

Any word on the driver's condition? Hopefully he didn't get burned.

[lelio]

Correction: NWCN is replaying old footage. No new fire. Dang that was huge.

[Ramius]

You're right... water is worse than useless on a fuel fire. Water just spreads it around. Gotta have foam.

Some trees next to the freeway burned as well.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I was at a fair in Mill Creek, taking the kids to see the Fire Department guys and such, and all of a sudden the sky south of us filled with smoke. Suddenly, a couple of the fire trucks left, and a med-evac chopper flew in... figured it was a car fire of some type - didn't know until just now what it was. there was a LOT of smoke...