Trucker riding his brakes responsible for I-80 shut down, officials say

Traffic along Interstate 80 was brought to a complete stop on Monday after a semi truck hauling frozen food caught fire. 

The accident happened on Monday, September 2nd on I-80 out of Parleys Canyon near Salt Lake City, Utah at about 11:15 a.m. 

According to KUTV 2, the truck driver was traveling west on I-80 when the driver realized something was wrong and pulled onto the right shoulder. Nearby traffic cameras then captured footage of the trucker detaching the truck and trailer before the trailer caught fire, sending black smoke up into the air and causing several tires to explode. 

 Unified Fire Authority spokesperson Kelly Bird says that the truck driver was riding his brakes “a bit more than he should have” just before the wreck, which sparked the fire. 

“It’s a good opportunity to remind people as they’re driving downhill, especially in the heat, it’s still in the 90s today,” Bird said. “It’s still hot, don’t ride your breaks. You have to make sure if you have a manual transmission or if you’re able to shift down to a lower gear. Let your car brake for you because there is an opportunity for them to overheat and catch your vehicle on fire.”

Even after the interstate reopened at around 4:30 p.m., drivers were advised to “continue to expect delays of 2+ hours as cleanup continues from the vehicle fire.”