Burns,TN : I-40 East shut down in Dickson County after fiery semi crash on January, Wednesday 10th 2018

Two people were able to narrowly escape from a semi truck after it crashed and then burst into flames in Dickson County on Wednesday morning.

The crash has shut down the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 for several hours between Interstate 840 and Highway 96. The Tennessee Department of Transportation estimates the scene will not be clear until 10 p.m.

TDOT workers briefly opened one lane to help with the massive delays on the interstate but have since closed all of the lanes again.

Officials on scene said the driver, his female passenger and their dog were all able to escape with minor injuries.

The driver told first responders that his tire blew out, causing him to lose control and hit a concrete barrier around 5:20 a.m. Wednesday. When he hit the barrier, it smashed into his fuel tank, causing the vehicle to burst into flames.

The public information officer for the Tennessee Highway Patrol said it appears the crash may have been caused by improper lane use. Officials said they do not believe the driver was impaired.

One witness described seeing flames shoot almost as high as the top of the trees. He said he can’t believe the driver is alive based on what he saw.

Two men who saw the semi truck go up in flames both called 911.

"When I saw the bright light, I looked up, and my window was down, and I could feel the heat from the flames. I mean, that's how close we were," said Charlie Barbera.

"I actually had to back up, you know, to get away from it, and had I stayed where I was at and stayed beside him, it probably would have involved me as well," said Brad Bell.

The truck was hauling crates filled with glass bottles and spilled about 150 gallons of diesel into the road. Crews extinguished the flames but sprayed foam as a precaution.

Source :
I-40 East shut down in Dickson County after fiery semi crash