Frederick residents address safety concerns for site of deadly tanker truck explosion
FREDERICK -- It's been nearly two weeks since a tanker truck crashed in Frederick, killing the driver and damaging several homes and cars in a neighborhood.
Homeowners in the area said the crash is the latest showing of why more safety precautions need to be in place in-between their street and Route 15.
To address these concerns, the city is hosting a community forum with several different agencies at Frederick High School.
Maryland State Police said Ronald Heiston Jr., 58, was driving the tanker truck when it crashed into a tree on Route 15 near Rosemont Avenue.
The truck had approximately 8,650 gallon of gasoline and caught fire.
Cellphone video from that day shows the heavy fire from that crash.
On Wednesday, damage from that day is still so evident on Apple Avenue: a home there has been deemed unlivable, a car has melted, and scorched grass is seen all over.
Jose Campos, who lives a few houses down from the crash, told WJZ it was the final straw for his family to do something to protect their safety.
Campos now parks his cars in front of his house as an extra barrier just in case.
He and his family have lived off Apple Avenue for eight years. He he has story after story of all the different crashes his family has witnessed.
"Two years ago, a car hit a tree and flipped," Campos said. "[Last year], another car came [from Route 15] all the way to the sidewalk over there. That was another big accident."
He and several other of his neighbors say a wall or some kind of structure needs to be put up between Apple Avenue and Route 15 to prevent the next crash.
Lauren Paulet, Frederick's community engagement specialist, said the city has heard these concerns. It's why they organized a community forum to get these concerns directly to the right people.
Some of the agencies that will be there will be the Frederick Police Department, Frederick County Division of Fire & Rescue Services, Maryland Depoartment of Transportation, among others.
"We'll have representatives from the State Highway Administration to share information on interim solutions and also, hopefully, permanent solution further down the road," Paulet said.
Campos hopes something is done soon. Otherwise, Frederick may no longer be home for his family.
"It's not because I don't like the house, I like the city of Frederick," he said. "But, I don't feel safe to live here anymore."
Maryland State Police are still investigating what exactly caused the crash.