I-70 WB at I-65 North Split back open after fiery semi crash
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) –The I-70 on ramp at the north split is back open after being closed for nearly ten hours.
A fiery semi truck crash forced officials to close it before 4 a.m. Thursday morning.
Eighteen wheels engulfed in flames, fire ripped through the semi truck as fire fighters worked to put out the blaze. But, it was too late. The truck was reduced to nothing but a shell.
“I think he over corrected himself when he changed lanes, yanked the wheel back over pretty hard. This is when he hit into this wall right here, and just kept bouncing down that way,” said Brian McElyea, who witnessed the accident
McElyea says he saw the driver lose control then smash into the concrete wall.
“I’ve seen them skid around but not hit the wall like that. That’s a lot of force to move that concrete right there,” he added.
Authorities believe the driver was speeding. There were no serious injuries, but it left a mess behind. The concrete wall is now blackened by soot. Crews spent the morning power washing it and the road, scooping up debris and hauling off what remained of the semi. But the work didn’t end with cleanup.
“We attached some guardrail just as a temporary measure to stabilize the wall with some barrels. Long-term, we’ll remove that, pour some new wall,” said Nathan Riggs of the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Riggs didn’t have an exact figure, but estimated there was tens of thousands of dollars in damage
In addition to cleanup and reinforcing the barriers, INDOT sent an inspector to make sure the nearby bridge was structurally sound.
“This fire was close and fortunately the fire was not too close. We did avoid a major issue there,” said Riggs.
INDOT also monitors ramps with higher than normal crash rates. In a 2015 study, the department identified seven ramps with higher than average crashes.
“This ramp was not at the top of that list. It was not targeted for safety improvements. The I-65 north ramp right here at the north split was. Basically, what we’re trying to do is minimize crashes,” said Riggs.
According to Riggs, the best way to minimize crashes is to get drivers to obey the speed limit. Signs with flashing lights that capture speed have been installed in some of those troubled areas.
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