Demolished and burnt wreckage of a semi truck that rolled over and burst into flames under the Fairfield Ave overpass in Norwalk, CT on Wednesday, February 1, 2012. Photo Credit: Nancy Guenther Chapman

Norwalk is located in Fairfield County, Connecticut in southwestern the part of the state about 73 miles southwest of Hartford, 10 miles northeast of Stamford and 9 miles southeast of Fairfield.

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The accident happened around 4:30 p.m. in the middle of rush hour traffic under the Fairfield Ave overpass on I-95. The big rig was traveling southbound on I-95 at the time.

Map showing location of semi truck accident in Norwalk, CT on Interstate 95 under the Fairfield Ave overpass where an 18 wheeler rolled over and caught fire on February 1, 2012.

Reports say that as many as 5 vehicles were involved. The driver became trapped in the burning truck and had to be extricated from the wreck by rescue personnel. Firefighters from the Norwalk Fire Department sprung into action, grabbing the jaws of life, jumping a fence and climbing down an embankment to get to the trapped driver.

An article in the Norwalk Citizen website reported on the incident:

Firefighters had to enter the highway up the northbound off-ramp the wrong way to cut down their response time, according to the Norwalk fire department. Another crew, from Truck 2, heard the call at their Connecticut Avenue fire station, jumped a six-inch chain link fence and ran down the embankment, with full gear, to reach the scene.

Other firefighters brought fire extinguishers and managed to keep the flames from spreading to the cab while the driver was being rescued. The trucker, identified as Nerys Granados, 28 years old from Bayshore, NY, suffered broken bones and other injuries but he was lucid and speaking to rescue personnel while he was being extricated from the burning wreck.

The accident damaged the truck’s fuel tanks and about 30 to 40 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled in the accident. The hazardous materials were cleaned up by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Fortunately, no evacuations had to be ordered and there were no injuries reported as a result of the hazardous materials.

The accident completely demolished the tractor trailer leaving nothing but burnt wreckage and a twisted pile of metal and undercarriage.

The accident spawned a search for a driver who caused the crash and then fled the scene. At first, police thought they were looking for a Chrysler LeBaron, but it turned out to be a 2004 Toyota Solara. Police followed up on a tip later that evening about a damaged Solara that was partially covered by a tarp in a parking lot at 92 Cedar St just a few blocks southwest of the scene of the accident.

The car was driven by Rachel Wood, 31 years old, from Norwalk. Police arrested the woman on drug charges and for reckless driving. Police said that Wood was smoking crack when they found her and that she was on a crack binge during the hours leading up to the crash.

Police also said that that she was going 135 miles an hour when she side-swiped a 2010 Nissan Frontier and set off a chain-reaction crash. The Nissan ran into the truck, which then crashed into the concrete barrier, then flipped over and rolled on its side. Debris flying from the crash also hit two other vehicles.

The truck driver was pulled from the wreckage on a stretcher and was taken to Norwalk Hospital with incapacitating injuries. As many as three other people involved in the accident were also injured, one of which was also hospitalized, although their injuries were non life-threatening.

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18 wheeler laying on its side after it overturned on exit ramp 57 off I-95 in Guilford, CT on Tuesday, January 10, 2012.

Guilford is located in New Haven County, Connecticut in the south-central part of the state about 38 miles southeast of Waterbury, 33 miles northeast of Bridgeport and 14 miles southeast of New Haven.

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The driver had to be extricated from the big rig that rolled over. He was transported to the hospital. There are no details as to his condition but his injuries were reported to be non life-threatening.

The accident occurred around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday at exit 57 on Interstate 95 in Guilford. The truck overturned on the off ramp at Boston Post Rd. pinning the driver in his cab.

Map showing location of 18 wheeler accident in Guilford, CT where a tractor trailer overturned while exiting northbound I-95 at exit 57.

Some diesel fuel was leaking and emergency responders called in a HazMat team to deal with containment of the hazardous materials.

Officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection were called to the scene. Fortunately, no evacuations had to be ordered.

An article at TheDay.com website reported on the story:

The driver of a tractor trailer was trapped inside the vehicle after it flipped onto its side in Guilford at approximately 1:40 p.m. today. According to reports from Guilford emergency responders the truck overturned when it exited I-95 North at exit 57, blocking the lane of the exit ramp. Exit 57 North has been closed.

Emergency responders had to extricate the driver from the 18 wheeler. He was extricated around 2:45 p.m. He was then transported about 2.4 miles to Yale-New Haven hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.

The on and off ramps were temporarily closed at exit 57 while emergency responders from the Guilford Fire Department and officials from several government agencies were at the scene including personnel from the Department of Transportation, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection plus the Connecticut State Police.

According to the police, no other vehicles were involved in the accident.

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On Sunday morning, 34 year old truck driver Marcel Landry of New Brunswick, Canada was driving a semi trailer north on Interstate 95. The trailer section of the truck was filled with a cargo of fresh bananas at the time of the truck accident. The 18 wheeler truck bore the logo of Chiquita, an international fresh produce company with corporate headquarters based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

A mix of warm and cold air had produced a dense fog that hung over the region, reducing visibility. The National Weather Service had issued a Dense Fog Advisory which was still in effect until 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning. The fog may have been a contributing factor in the truck accident.

At about 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning, Mr. Landry had reached New Haven, CT still driving north on I-95, traveling in the right lane of the three lane highway. The truck accident happened as the truck driver crossed near the juncture of Long Wharf. Mr. Landry suddenly lost control of the tractor trailer and crashed into the Jersey barrier running along the right shoulder of the interstate. The truck driver struggled to regain control of the 18 wheeler. He brought it back into the right lane, but hit the Jersey barrier several more times. The tractor trailer then skidded and flipped over on its right side. The semi trailer finally stopped with the back section on the right traffic lane and the front of the truck resting on the right embankment and Jersey barrier.

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Although traffic was slightly heavy Sunday morning, no other vehicles or persons were involved in the truck accident.

Local rescue personnel responded to the single vehicle crash and gave aid to the victim. The truck driver, Mr. Landry, suffered moderate bruises and cuts in the rollover truck accident. He was stabilized at the crash site and then transported by ambulance to Yale-New Haven Hospital. His injuries are considered non-life threatening and he is expected to recover.

The tractor trailer section apparently did not split during the truck accident and it appeared the entire cargo of bananas remained on board. It is not known if state authorities will allow the fruit to be used or require the cargo to be destroyed.

Connecticut State Police shut down a section of northbound I-95 beginning back in West Haven. At first they were allowing motorists to get through on a single lane, but this lane was closed when the heavy tow trucks arrived at the scene. These closures created major traffic delays, at times stretching back for seven miles. Drivers were rerouted off the interstate and sent on secondary routes before being allowed back on I-95 north of the truck accident site.

Crews worked for several hours to pull the semi trailer truck back up on its wheels. Heavy wreckers using straps finally got the disabled tractor trailer upright at around 1:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon. The 18 wheeler was damaged in the truck accident and had to be hauled off the highway.

Police reopened all northbound lanes at 2:00 p.m., about five hours after the truck accident.

One longtime truck driver who witnessed part of the truck accident told reporters that it is possible that another vehicle cut off the semi trailer, as the crash happened at a section of the highway where drivers are approaching the juncture with I-91 and many change lanes at the last moment. The driver thinks that if Mr. Landry had to swerve the cargo of bananas may have shifted and thrown the 18 wheeler off balance.

Investigators reconstructed the single vehicle crash and found that the truck driver was partially at fault for the rollover truck accident. Mr. Landry was charged with Driving Too Fast for Conditions and Failure to Maintain his Proper Lane.

The tractor trailer tumbled down the embankment onto Taugwonk Road. The driver, a man reported to be in his late 40s, was from Oklahoma. State police said the driver of the truck was burned so badly that his identity would have to be confirmed by dental records.

The crash occurred when the big rig, traveling northbound on I-95, veered off the shoulder, then scraped along the guard rail for about 400 feet. The guard rail ripped open the 18 wheeler’s fuel tank spilling diesel fuel onto the drivers side of the tractor trailer. The diesel fuel ignitied and engulfed the semi truck in flames then careened into a bridge abutment at the overpass.

Stonington is located in the southeast corner of Connecticut, about 60 miles from New Haven, about 65 miles from Hartford, and about 79 miles from Bridgeport.

The tractor trailer tumbled down the embankment onto Taugwonk Road. The driver, a man reported to be in his late 40s, was from Oklahoma. State police said the driver of the truck was burned so badly that his identity would have to be confirmed by dental records. No other vehicles or people were involved in the crash.

Carrie Underwood Dedicates “Temporary Home” to the Fallen Truck Driver

During Carrie Underwood’s concert Saturday night at the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT. Carrie dedicated “Temporary Home” to her driver who was killed in a the crash earlier in the day on I-95.

A tearful Carrie asks the audience to sing along with her.

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Below is a Google Street view of the northbound section of I-95 near where the accident occurred. You can click and drag the mouse button to pan around the scene.

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Photo: Westport Fire Dept.

One person has died as a result of a collision with semi-truck on I-95 in Westport, Connecticut about 1:15am, Sep 2nd. The driver of a passenger car, a Chrysler Cirrus, was traveling northbound near Exit 17 when it struck the rear of a stopped semi-truck carrying a load of stone slabs.

Update: Sep 7, 2009:  The truck driver was identified as 30-year-old Annera Reyes from West New York, New Jersey. The driver was reported as unharmed in the acident. Officials stated that at the time of the accident, both drivers were alone in their respective vehicles.

The Westport Fire Department stated that the car struck the rear end of the tractor trailer, then went into the guardrail on the right side of the highway. Westport Fire Department Asst. Chief William Dingee stated that the vehicle sustained heavy damage to the front end and drivers side and that the driver was trapped inside. Emergency personnel discovered signs of severe trauma with no signs of life after the truck accident.

The deceased person has been identified as 21-year old Kendall Turek whom State police say was apparently speeding just before the collision. They are currently investigating what led to the crash.

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