Driver of tanker truck dies in fiery crash in northern Indiana
NAPPANEE, Ind. (WISH) — The driver of a straight tanker truck died Friday afternoon in a fiery crash on a road outside a trailer manufacturer in northern Indiana, state police say.
The driver’s name will be released once the Elkhart County coroner makes a positive identification.
The crash happened about 12:55 p.m. Friday on Tomahawk Trail near the ATC Trailers business. That’s west of Nappanee, a city of about 6,900 residents that straddles the border of Elkhart and Kosciusko counties.
Investigators think the tanker truck was southbound on Tomahawk Trail when it ran off the road and lost control. As the truck came back onto the road, the truck rolled onto its right side and slid southbound. The truck caught on fire as it slid, and then spun and came to rest facing north in the northbound lane.
The tanker truck was carrying a flammable material, although state police did not specific what is was. A representative of Indiana Department of Environmental Management responded to the crash scene.
Nappanee Police Department asked the state police to assist with the investigation.
Nappanee is about a 40-minute drive southeast of downtown South Bend.