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Tanker fire snarls traffic

It was unclear whether anyone died in the crash that ignited 8,000 gallons of fuel.

By REBECCA CATALANELLO
Published November 16, 2006

GIBSONTON - The sound of three terrifying explosions jolted Alex Edgemon from inside his Lake St. Charles home late Wednesday.

Outside, just after 9 p.m., the sky was so bright, he said, it almost looked like day.

"The whole sky lit up, and there were huge black clouds of smoke," said Edgemon, 39.

"I didn't know if maybe something happened at the power plant," he said. "Or did a plane crash?"

The fire came from a tanker truck carrying 8,000 gallons of fuel that exploded on southbound Interstate 75 after hitting another vehicle just north of Gibsonton, Hillsborough Fire Rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley said.

The accident happened after a southbound car swerved into the tanker's path.

The fuel truck driver pulled to the curb and jumped out before it burst into flames, Yeakley said.

The driver's name was not available late Wednesday.

As the fire continued to burn two hours later, it still wasn't clear to investigators how many occupants were in the smaller, blazing car.

They weren't ready to confirm the accident as fatal because they couldn't get to the accident scene for all the flames.

"We know almost nothing," Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Harold Frear said at 11:20 p.m.

Two people not involved in the actual crash were taken to Brandon Regional Hospital with minor bumps and bruises caused by sudden braking, Yeakley said.

Emergency workers left the fuel truck to burn itself out, as FHP troopers and Hillsborough sheriff's deputies redirected traffic.

Both sides of I-75 were shut down, and the roadblocks caused additional tie-ups as vehicles were directed to alternate routes.

[Last modified November 16, 2006, 05:46:46]