Tractor Trailer Truck Crashes and Burns in Venice, Florida
July 26th, 2010 | 
Author: VENICE, FL – Traffic on an interstate in Sarasota County, Florida stalled Thursday morning, July 8, when a semi trailer truck crashed and burst into flames. The truck accident occurred in the southbound lanes of Interstate 75 near the city of Venice. The accident area is in the southwest section of the state near the Gulf of Mexico, about 57 miles south of St. Petersburg, FL and about 213 miles northwest of Miami, FL.
Florida Highway Patrol shut down the interstate for about an hour.
Shortly before 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning 61 year old Richard Wilson of Venice, FL was driving a semi trailer truck south on Interstate 75 in Sarasota County, FL. As Mr. Wilson was traveling near the River Road Exchange near mile marker 191 he reportedly lost control of his 18 wheeler truck.
The tractor trailer truck went off the interstate, hitting a box by the side of the road. The semi truck then crashed into a highway guardrail that apparently broke off and became stuck on the truck’s lower section. The trailer truck dragged the section of guardrail almost a quarter of a mile down the interstate. The guardrail section created sparks as it was pulled along the road surface and these sparks ignited one of the semi truck’s fuel tanks. An unknown quantity of diesel fuel spilled out onto the interstate from the damaged fuel tank.
When the semi trailer finally came to a rest along the interstate, the driver, Mr. Wilson, was able to crawl out of the cab and escape the burning 18 wheeler. Emergency personnel responded to the truck accident scene. EMTs checked out the truck driver, who was uninjured and did not require hospitalization.
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The fire engulfed the trailer truck and local firefighters fought the blazing rig which was completely destroyed and left a burnt shell.
A Haz-Mat team cleaned up and contained the diesel fuel spill while highway crews cleared the debris and worked to remove the wreckage of the demolished semi trailer truck.
Florida Highway Patrol shut down the interstate for about an hour around the truck accident scene while rescue personnel worked and authorities reconstructed the incident. They later opened up some of the interstate while diverting traffic between Jacaranda Avenue and River Road.
Authorities reconstructed the truck accident but have not determined why the semi trailer went out of control and crashed.
No charges or citations have been made at this time and the truck accident remains under investigation.
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