Three lanes of State Road 37 reopen after Friday morning tanker fire

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Three lanes of State Road 37 near the Wicker Road bridge on the city’s south side have reopened following a Friday morning tanker fire, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.

As of 12 p.m., one lane of southbound 37 remains closed, according to INDOT. Traffic is still backed up in the area and drivers are asked to take an alternate route.

Just after 6 a.m., police and firefighters were called to a burning tanker truck on southbound State Road 37 at Wicker Road.

The driver of the tanker truck told the Indianapolis Fire Department that one of his tires blew, sending the truck into the right-side guardrail, back across two lanes, into the median barriers, and down the road about 300 yards before he could stop it.

The cab then burst into flames, causing a cloud of heavy black smoke that was visible for miles, according to IFD Batallion Chief Rita Reith.

The only item the driver was able to grab from the cab was a teddy bear his daughter gave him last year on Father’s Day, Reith said. The rest of the cab was completely destroyed.

Police shut down the north- and southbound lanes for several miles so firefighters could battle the flames and cleanup could begin. The shutdown led to miles of backed-up traffic and long delays.

INDOT says drivers should expect night and weekend lane closures on southbound State Road 37 in the next few days while workers do additional cleanup and repair work.