A truck driver was critically injured overnight after the 18-wheeler he was driving crashed, knocking down power lines before catching fire, police said.
Officers responded to a crash around 1 a.m. on Sunday, April 5, at a Valero gas station located at 13900 Trinity Boulevard, the Fort Worth Police Department said in a press release. The crash involved a car and an 18-wheeler carrying 9,000 gallons of gasoline, the release states.
Powerlines were knocked over in the crash, causing the 18-wheeler to catch fire, police said.
The driver of the 18-wheeler attempted to stop gasoline from leaking and draining in the gas station parking lot, but the fire spread to the gasoline, causing it to ignite, police said.
The driver was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to the press release.
The company’s owner later said the driver has been moved out of the ICU and is now stable, though he faces a long recovery.
The fire burned for hours overnight as fire crews worked to spray the tanker with water to keep it cool, the release states. Firefighters also used foam to fight the fire, and sand trucks were used to prevent the foam from running off, police say.
Crews fought the fire for six hours, leaving the scene at 7 a.m., according to the release.
The second driver remained on scene after the crash and was not injured, according to the fire department. Police cited the driver but said the crash remains under investigation.
Neighbors described a terrifying scene in the overnight hours.
“It was a boom,” said Eddie Johnson, who lives next to the gas station. “I thought the whole block was going to blow up. I was thinking attack on America, I really was.”
Johnson said he called his loved ones in the moments after the explosion.
“I called as many people as I could, tell them I love them,” he said.
The Fort Worth Fire Department escalated the incident to a Level 2 HAZMAT response, bringing in additional resources to battle the blaze. Crews sprayed water on the tanker for hours to keep it cool while firefighters also deployed specialized foam to fight the flames. Sand trucks were requested to build containment dams and prevent foam and water runoff from spreading. An aircraft rescue and firefighting truck from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was also called to the scene to assist with foam.
City of Fort Worth Environmental teams were also dispatched to the scene.
Firefighting crews battled the blaze for approximately six hours before clearing the scene around 7 a.m.
Resident Tabatha Early, who lives down the street, said neighbors were shaken throughout the night.
“We just hope whoever was in the trucks survives,” she said.
Neighbor Patricia Ayers echoed the sentiment shared by many in the area.
“It could have been a lot worse,” she said.
Cleanup of the scene continued into Monday.