Fuel tanker crashes on Florida Turnpike, sending massive fireball, plume of smoke into the air
PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The driver of a tanker truck lost control of the vehicle before crashing on the Florida Turnpike early Friday in southeast Palm Beach County, sending a fireball and plume of black smoke into the air.
The crash occurred before 6 a.m. and prompted troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol to close all lanes of the turnpike near Mile Marker 89 while they worked to clean up the fuel and clear the wreckage.
The lanes were closed for over two hours, snarling the morning commute for drivers in the area.
WPEC-TV reported that the tanker truck was carrying at least 1,000 gallons of diesel and 7,500 gallons of gasoline at the time of the crash.
The television station reported that crews erected a makeshift dam to collect the thousands of gallons of fuel that spilled from the tanker truck.
Troopers said the driver of the tanker truck was not hurt during the crash and no other vehicles were involved in the wreck.