Tanker truck explosion closes I-75 south of Detroit: UPDATE

At approximately 8:15 a.m., a tanker truck driving northbound on I-75 lost control at Dearborn Ave. The tank portion of the truck went over the freeway, plunging 30-40 ft. to the ground below and exploding on impact.

The cab of the truck became lodged on the freeway barrier which prevented it from toppling over the edge. The cab continued 200 yards on I-75 North before catching fire, killing the driver. The identity of the driver has not been released pending notification of the family.

Both northbound and southbound lanes of I-75 were closed through the morning. The span of I-75 Northbound, which caught on fire, will remain closed until investigators call it safe to drive on.

When the tank exploded, it shot fire in all directions causing several additional fires to a convenience store, a residential home and a playground.

It is not known at his time why the driver lost control of the vehicle.

The tank was carrying a full tank of a petroleum-based product.Source

Truck strikes two vehicles on U.S. 30

PLYMOUTH -- An early morning three-vehicle wreck at the intersection of U.S. 30 and King Road resulted when a truck driver didn't see traffic ahead of him slow down for a traffic light.

Detective Sgt. Duane Culp of the Marshall County Sheriff's Department said the accident happened at 7:30 a.m. Thursday when Michael Johnson, 60, of Lacresent, Minn., was westbound on U.S. 30, east of the intersection with King Road.

A vehicle in front of Johnson's semi-truck, a Ford pickup truck driven by James Read, 56, of Bourbon, was slowing down for the vehicle that had stopped in front of him at the light. That third vehicle, a Ford Freestar, was driven by Amanda Wood, 34, of Plymouth.

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Tanker crash closes Route 8 north in Waterbury

A tanker truck went down an embankment on Route 8 in Waterbury and dumped about one-thousand gallons of gasoline.

State police say the highway is closed northbound near exit 36. The Department of Transportation says that part of Route 8 may not be back open until sometime Monday.

Workers from the Department of Environmental Protection along with fire crews from surrounding towns are on the scene to clean up the mess.

State police say the driver of the tanker truck suffered minor injuries.

There is no word right now as to what caused the tanker truck to go down the embankment.

The southbound side of the road is open.

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