Diesel tanker crashes on Interstate 15

Tuesday, June 19, 2001 | 11:04 a.m.

The driver of a tractor-trailer carrying 12,000 gallons of diesel fuel was injured early today when his rig overturned and burst into flames after it was struck by a car on Interstate 15 near Apex.

The driver of the northbound car that struck the driver's side of the northbound tanker about two miles south of the city dump was not injured in the collision, which diverted traffic on both sides of I-15 to Las Vegas Boulevard.

The driver of the tanker, who was ejected from the cab, was taken to University Medical Center by emergency helicopter. His injuries were determined to be moderate and are not considered life-threatening, Nevada Highway Patrol Lt. Kevin Tice said.

Southbound traffic was diverted three miles north of the accident for an hour and 45 minutes. Northbound traffic was still being diverted at 9:15 a.m. five miles south of the accident.

The wreck at about 6:15 a.m. resulted in a column of gray smoke that was visible valleywide.

Tice said the car was traveling in the left lane when it drifted to the left, overcorrected to the right and struck the left side of the tanker. The impact caused the driver of the rig to lose control of the vehicle, which overturned and burst into flames, he said.

The car stopped on the median as the truck burned to the wheels and carriage.

Tice declined to immediately release further information about the drivers, confirming only that both were men.

Clark County Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said diesel fuel is nonflammable because its vapors ignite at 100 degrees or more, meaning it is combustible and therefore not as likely to burn as it did today.

Diesel and oil are examples of combustible fuels. Gasoline and alcohol vapors ignite at temperatures less than 100 degrees and are flammable.

"Each day, 6 million pounds of hazardous materials travel through our valley, and much of it is combustible or flammable," Leinbach said. "It is amazing we do not have more of these spectacular fires. The last one was last summer when a tanker overturned and burned on U.S. 95 near Flamingo Road."

Today's tanker fire was fought by firefighters from seven Clark County units, one North Las Vegas Fire Department unit and a Nellis Air Force Base unit that provided large amounts of foam to douse the blaze, Leinbach said.

Officials with the highway patrol said the accident is under investigation and could result in citations being issued. The preliminary findings are failure to maintain travel lane and failure to use due caution on the part of the vehicle that hit the truck, the NHP said.