Jul 12, 2008 6:11 pm US/Eastern
Tanker Crashes And Burns On Route 128
NEEDHAM (WBZ) ―
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A pillar of smoke billows from an overturned fuel tanker on Route 128 southbound in Needham.
Robert Sullivan/WBZ
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A pillar of smoke billows from an overturned fuel tanker on Route 128 southbound in Needham
Courtesy Wellesley Police Department/WBZ
A fuel tanker truck overturned and ignited on Route 128 southbound in Needham early Saturday morning, shutting down both sides of the highway for a period of time.
The crash happened just beyond Highland Avenue around 5:40 a.m.
The driver, 59-year-old David Power of Needham, managed to escape with what Massachusetts State Police describe as minor burns. The truck hit a guardrail and overturned, spilling an estimated 11,500 gallons of fuel from the tanker and onto the pavement of the highway, which then burned up.
WBZ News viewers from as far away as Chelsea and Everett reported seeing heavy black smoke billowing from the scene, but Needham firefighters applied foam to the smoldering wreckage and were able to contain the flames.
Crews were able to completely re-open the northbound side of the highway after approximately two hours. However, the southbound side, where the crash occurred, remained closed well into the morning.
Highway crews worked to re-open the road by mid-morning, much of which had melted under the fire. Permanent repairs are expected to take place Saturday night, but the Massachusetts Highway Department expects to be able to keep at least two lanes open at all times.
According to Massachusetts State Police, Power described swerving to avoid some kind of metal in the roadway. He was taken to Beth Israel Hospital with minor injuries.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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