Driver Hurt, I-75 Closed Until Monday Following Tanker Crash

A truck driver suffered severe burns after a tanker truck carrying 8,000 gallons of gasoline exploded on I-75 near the Detroit-Lincoln Park border around 3 a.m., shutting both lanes of the interstate for hours.

Cause of Crash Unknown

The 53-year-old truck driver lost control of the tanker on southbound I-75, sending it into the median. It then flipped into the northbound lanes and exploded. No other vehicles were involved. Michigan State Police say that they do not yet know what caused the crash.

Truck Driver Severely Burned

The driver, who works for Corrigan Oil Company, was transported to the hospital and is in critical condition with burns on over 90% of his body.

The truck was burned down to a few scraps of metal and the surface of the interstate was destroyed and will need to be completely replaced.

Northbound I-75 Closed Until Monday

The southbound lanes of I-75 reopened around 11:30 a.m., but the MDOT says that the northbound lanes will be shut down until at least 5 a.m. on Monday, August 24.

Michigan State Police have asked anyone who witnessed the crash to contact them at 248-584-5740.

Sources:
The Detroit News
Click On Detroit
CBS Local
WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7