Motorist Helps Truck Driver After Fiery Tanker Crash

A motorist stopped to give a truck driver assistance after a fiery crash at the I-70/I-270 interchange in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday morning.

The 50-year-old tanker truck driver, who was hauling ethanol, told police that the felt a bump and that his truck shifted, causing him to lose control. The wreck caused the truck to catch fire, charring the road and shutting down traffic. The driver was able to escape from the cab before the flames became too intense.

Many motorists called 911 and took pictures and videos of the flaming tanker, but motorist Robert Savitz saw someone walking around near the crash site. He stopped and asked the person if he was the driver. When the driver replied “yes”, Savitz got out to make sure he was okay and called 911.

Savitz, a veteran of the U.S. Navy said that stopping to help was a natural reaction: “”You see a guy walking away from a fire you got to stop and help.”

The tanker fire was so hot that it cracked the concrete and melted the metal reinforcement bars. The cost of repairing and replacing the bridge could be up to $1 million.

The driver only suffered minor injuries and was issued two citations.

Source:
My Fox 28
Jenn Howell-Fisher
WLWT