Driver Killed, Homes Burned in Fiery Tanker Truck Crash in Maryland

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A tanker truck hauling a flammable liquid crashed on a Maryland highway Saturday and caught fire, killing the driver and damaging several homes and vehicles, authorities said.

The truck crashed around noon on U.S. 15 in Frederick, about an hour’s drive west of Baltimore. Photos showed massive flames and billowing smoke.

Fire crews arrived within minutes of receiving several emergency calls and found the truck completely engulfed in a fire that had also spread to three homes and automobiles, Frederick Fire Chief Tom Coe said at a news conference

One of those homes was extensively damaged, displacing the residents. The other two sustained minor damage, Coe said.

The tanker driver, who was not immediately identified, died but no other injuries were reported, Coe said.

Authorities said the exact chain of events that led to the crash is under investigation. Officials are also working to determine exactly what substance the tanker was hauling, though Coe said it was believed to be a commonly transported flammable liquid like gasoline or diesel fuel that poses no threat to the general public.

Crews will be monitoring the air quality and isolating the area where the liquid saturated soil for cleanup, he said. Officials said there was no breach of the city’s sewer system or a nearby creek.

The crash initially shut down U.S. 15, which runs through the city of about 80, 000 people, in both directions, the State Highway Administration said.

Photo: Firefighers work the scene after a tanker truck overturned on U.S. 15 in Frederick, Md., on Saturday, March 4, 2023. The fiery crash killed the driver and burned vehicles and homes in Frederick, about an hour’s drive west of Baltimore, authorities said. (Bill Green /The Frederick News-Post via AP)