Preliminary report of NTSB I-95 Philadelphia collapse investigation released
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The National Transporation Safety Board released preliminary details of the investigation into the Interstate 95 collapse Thursday. Part of I-95 was reopened with temporary lanes last Friday and the collapse remains under investigation as officials figure out the probable cause.
NTSB said the driver of the tanker truck, identified as Nathan Moody, lost control of the tank trailer while on the northbound I-95 off-ramp on Cottman Avenue early Sunday morning on June 11. The tank trailer was transferring about 8,500 gallons of gas from Wilmington, Delaware, to a gas station on Oxford Avenue in Philadelphia when the truck rolled over and caught fire under the northbound lanes on the overpass, according to investigators.
Moody's death was ruled an accident by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office, adding that the 53-year-old died due to blunt trauma of the head, inhalation and thermal injuries. A community in Merchantville has raised over $33K for support of Moody's family.
"I-95 was an eight-lane divided highway with four lanes each in the northbound and southbound directions. The posted speed limit on I-95 in the vicinity of the crash was 55 mph, and the Cottman Avenue off-ramp was posted with a 25 mph speed limit and truck rollover warning sign," NTSB said.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the City of Philadelphia are all contributing to the NTSB investigation.
