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A fire from an overturned tanker truck blocks traffic and melts power lines, leaving hundreds without power.
By BRADY DENNIS
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 9, 2001
GOWERS CORNER -- An overturned tanker truck early Monday morning at State Road 52 and U.S. 41 caused a fire that burned trees and power lines, left more than 1,100 people without power and tied up the intersection well into the morning.
The accident happened about 2:30 a.m., according to state highway patrol reports.
Cris Michael Holding, 33, of Brandon was headed west on SR 52 in a Florida Rock and Tank Line tanker carrying 6,000 gallons of gasoline.
He crossed over the center line after entering the intersection of U.S. 41, a highway patrol report said. Holding then overcorrected as he tried to get back to his lane, causing the tanker to overturn and spill fuel, said Trooper Eric Madill.
The truck came to rest south of SR 52, west of U.S. 41. The gasoline ignited and started a brush fire that left nearby trees, grass and power lines charred.
"The intense heat from the fire actually melted the wires," said Ernie Holzhauer, spokesman for the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative. "That's a rare occurrence. I went by, and I was just amazed."
Holzhauer said the outage left 1,147 customers in Gowers Corner and Kent Groves out of power until about 4:47 a.m.
Holding was taken to Spring Hill Regional Hospital with minor injuries.
Although emergency workers had controlled the fire and gotten rid of the charred remains of the $100,000 tanker by rush hour, the accident still wreaked havoc on morning commuters.
Power was restored to nearby customers and convenience stores, but the intersection's traffic lights were off until almost lunchtime.
Power workers in rubber rain jackets used cherry pickers to restore power lines.
Long lines of traffic formed in all four directions. Troopers directed cars through at a snail's pace as the morning rain alternated between sprinkles and downpours.
The traffic jam even affected courthouse proceedings in Dade City on Monday as trials were about to start. For one defendant, John R. Fabritz of Hudson, the tie-up nearly cost him his freedom.
Fabritz, 66, was supposed to be in court at 9 a.m. as Circuit Judge Maynard Swanson began scheduling trials. But when Fabritz didn't appear, the judge rescinded his $20,000 bail and ordered him returned to jail. Bail was raised to $50,000.
Fabritz, charged in 1999 with trying to hire someone to kill his wife, appeared shortly after 10 a.m., after his name had been called by the judge. He said the drive from Hudson to Dade City usually takes him 45 minutes but because of the wreck, it took much longer Monday.
Swanson accepted the excuse and rescheduled his trial for March.
Peg Thomas, coordinator for the Office of Emergency Management, said she'd been at work since just after 3 a.m. Just another day at the office for her.
"It's been a long day so far, but this is what they pay us to do," she said. "When you take this job, you accept these conditions. Unfortunately, stuff like this happens."
Madill said Holding would be charged with careless driving.
- Times staff writer Chase Squires contributed to this report. Brady Dennis covers the city of Zephyrhills and police in east Pasco. His phone number is 352-521-5757, ext. 23. His e-mail is dennis@email.unc.edu.