Norwalk, Connecticut — A gasoline tanker truck caught fire in a three-vehicle incident on Interstate 95 in Connecticut on Thursday, blocking the East Coast’s main north-south artery and causing massive traffic congestion.
He said text alerts were sent to Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey residents, and trucking businesses were warned to seek alternative routes and modes of transportation. The US Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, has also been contacted.
The tragedy was reminiscent of last year’s fatal disaster on I-95 in Philadelphia, where a tractor-trailer hauling gasoline lost control and caught fire, destroying a stretch of the highway.
Thursday’s disaster occurred beneath a bridge. Scott Hill, head engineer with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, stated that the overpass seemed “stable and safe” despite the damage.
According to officials, environmental crews were also working to clean up gasoline and firefighting foam that had leaked into the Norwalk River.
The disaster occurred just over a year after a similar accident on Connecticut’s Interstate 95 forced the roadway to close.
In April 2023, another gasoline tanker caught fire after hitting a stopped car on the Gold Star Memorial Bridge between New London and Groton. The fuel tanker driver lost his life. The incident closed the southbound side of the bridge for hours and briefly closed the northbound side. The driver of the vehicle was recently charged with negligent homicide.
