A truck driver was severely injured last night when a tire exploded in his face after his truck caught fire on I-285 in Dekalb County, Georgia.
The incident started around 9 p.m. in the westbound lanes of I-285 near Chamblee-Dunwoody Road.
A truck driver hauling oxygen tanks and other hospital supplies pulled over after noticing that his brakes had caught fire. Then, according to on scene fire crews, “The driver got out to check on the brake and when he did, the tire on the truck exploded in his face due to the fire and heat caused by the brake fire.”
Some of the oxygen tanks also exploded during the truck fire. The exploding tanks littered debris on both sides of the interstate.
The fire caused temporary closures of I-285 in both directions.
The truck driver was transported to the hospital and is being treated for serious burns. No other injuries were reported.
#BREAKING: Fire Dept. says brake caught fire on tractor-trailer along I-285. Tire exploded in driver’s face pic.twitter.com/3TDzSB1N9N
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) September 15, 2016
Sources:
WSBTV
The Atlanta Journal Constitution
Brookhaven Patch
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