18-Wheeler Bursts Into Flames Along Midland Highway
By: Karl Rundgren
Updated: November 30, 2012
MIDLAND -- An 18-wheeler bursts into flames along Interstate 20 in Midland.
Midland Police say that an 18-wheeler was heading east on Interstate 20 around 1:10 PM on Friday when the big rig suddenly veered onto the guardrail near Rankin Highway (TX 349).
The truck rode the guardrail for a long enough period of time that the vehicle's diesel tank punctured -- causing diesel to spill onto the roadway.
Friction and sparks from the 18-wheeler's tires and the guardrail helped ignite the spilled fuel.
The fuel fire then spread to the 18-wheeler itself.
The burning truck continued to veer off the highway until it stopped along the south Interstate 20 service road.
Witnesses were shocked by what they saw.
"I was really coming out of Wal-Mart," witness Raul Raya told Big 2. "Then I saw the truck, the 18-wheeler, caught on flames. Then I saw it on the bridge. Then, after that, I just saw him taking off and jumping over the street and ended up on the grass."
Police say that the driver of the big rig -- 38-year-old Kuldeep Singh -- escaped the cab, and he wasn't hurt in the fire.
However, the truck was badly burned and melted.
TXDOT crews were called out to clean up the service road where the truck finally stopped.
As of Friday evening, no citations have been issued for the incident, but the fire remained under investigation.
Midland Police, Midland firefighters, Midland E.M.S. Crews and TXDOT workers all responded to the crash.
Midland Police say that an 18-wheeler was heading east on Interstate 20 around 1:10 PM on Friday when the big rig suddenly veered onto the guardrail near Rankin Highway (TX 349).
The truck rode the guardrail for a long enough period of time that the vehicle's diesel tank punctured -- causing diesel to spill onto the roadway.
Friction and sparks from the 18-wheeler's tires and the guardrail helped ignite the spilled fuel.
The fuel fire then spread to the 18-wheeler itself.
The burning truck continued to veer off the highway until it stopped along the south Interstate 20 service road.
Witnesses were shocked by what they saw.
"I was really coming out of Wal-Mart," witness Raul Raya told Big 2. "Then I saw the truck, the 18-wheeler, caught on flames. Then I saw it on the bridge. Then, after that, I just saw him taking off and jumping over the street and ended up on the grass."
Police say that the driver of the big rig -- 38-year-old Kuldeep Singh -- escaped the cab, and he wasn't hurt in the fire.
However, the truck was badly burned and melted.
TXDOT crews were called out to clean up the service road where the truck finally stopped.
As of Friday evening, no citations have been issued for the incident, but the fire remained under investigation.
Midland Police, Midland firefighters, Midland E.M.S. Crews and TXDOT workers all responded to the crash.
