Five Killed In Fiery Explosion On Interstate-35E Ramp
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Officials have confirmed two adults, two children and one unborn baby were killed in a fiery morning explosion. The ramp from westbound Interstate-20 to southbound I-35E was engulfed in flames for about an hour after an 18-wheeler and another vehicle crashed and exploded.
Officials say the explosion might have also claimed a third victim -- possibly a child. Investigators are waiting for official confirmation from the the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office.
Investigators say the heat from the blaze was so intense that they can't figure out the make or model of the passenger vehicle involved in the crash. Dallas County Sheriff's Office spokesman Raul Reyna said the passenger vehicle became wedged under the truck and the fuel tank on the truck exploded. "Both vehicles became engulfed in flames. The secondary vehicle was wedged between the cab and the trailer."
The semi was carrying a load of lumber. Flames lit the sky in the early morning and fallen wood sparked fires on the ground below the ramp. First-responders used water and foam to put out the blaze. Firefighters tossed wood from the overpass onto the ground as they worked to try and clear the scene.
Crews with Dallas Fire Rescue quickly responded to the scene. As of 7:30 a.m. most of the fire on the ramp had been extinguished, and the fires underneath were completely out.
Reyna said, "The victims were all in the vehicle, the secondary vehicle. The tractor-trailer driver did make it out okay." The truck driver was able to speak to investigators and said he didn't know if his truck blew a tire or if the passenger vehicle was stalled on the ramp.
Once the accident scene is cleared officials with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will evaluate the damage to and safety of the bridge. So far no word on how long it will be before the ramp is reopened.
At one point, traffic on I-35E was backed up well past Lancaster Road and there were lengthy delays on both east and westbound I-20. Click here to get the latest traffic information.
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