Truck Accidents 360 Newswire

LE ROY, NY – A driver died when his semi trailer truck crashed and burst into flames Tuesday morning, June 22, in Genesee County, New York. The deadly truck accident occurred on the New York State Thruway, also known as Interstate 90, near the town of Le Roy, NY. The area is about 27 miles southwest of the Rochester metro region in the northwest section of the state, about 58 miles east of Buffalo, NY and about 105 miles west of Syracuse, NY.

Shortly before 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning 49 year old Freddie Hatfield of Decatur, Alabama was driving a semi trailer truck east on the New York State Thruway/I-90 in Genesee County, NY. The trailer truck was carrying a cargo of paper rolls and other building materials for a company based out of Lincoln, Nebraska. The truck driver was traveling a route that began in Ohio and was destined for Gates, NY.

As the driver traveled through the area near Exit 47 for Le Roy, NY he lost control of his 18 wheeler for unknown reasons. According to New York State Police officials, the semi truck was seen weaving back and forth in the inner eastbound lane for several minutes before the incident. The semi truck went off the highway onto the right shoulder and slid about 50 feet on the grassy area alongside the thruway. The trailer truck then crashed into the woods that ran along the thruway and smashed into a tree. After crashing into the trees the semi trailer truck burst into flames, engulfing the cab.

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A driver who passed the out of control rig witnessed the truck accident through his rear view mirror. The witness told NY State Police that he saw sparks coming from the truck as it skidded on the grass. The truck went into the woods and the witness could see trees and branches flying, and pieces of the trailer truck as it began to break apart. He then saw it come to a sudden stop and explode into flames.

The Henrietta Fire Department and emergency personnel rushed to the scene of the truck accident. Firefighters fought the flames while rescue teams worked to free the driver from the cab of the burning trailer truck. However, when they reached him they found that the driver suffered fatal injuries in the collision and died at the scene.

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Equipment and crews were brought in to remove the burnt wreckage of the semi trailer truck and other debris from the highway. At the same time police investigators did a reconstruction of the truck accident and gathered evidence to determine why the driver lost control.

The truck accident caused serious delays throughout the morning, impacting the morning rush hour commute. State police closed down a section of the thruway surrounding the truck accident site, diverting traffic around the scene, and the closures caused backups for miles.

Based on their preliminary investigation officers believe that a fuel line on the semi trailer may have ruptured just before or at the moment the 18 wheeler crashed into the trees.

The truck accident remains under investigation.

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