Driver Killed After Fiery Crash Closes Highway 37 In Vallejo
VALLEJO (CBS SF) - A man who was killed in a fiery big-rig crash along state Highway 37 in Vallejo Thursday morning has been identified by the Solano County coroner's office as 43-year-old Roseville resident William Ballard.
Ballard was driving west on Highway 37 when his Ace Hardware big-rig collided with a white pickup truck just east of state Highway 29 at about 6:40 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Parker said.
The collision caused the big-rig to fall from Highway 37 onto a grassy area below, where it caught fire.
Parker said two witnesses who were driving north on Highway 29 saw sparks coming from the big-rig before it went off of Highway 37.
The two, along with an off-duty paramedic, ran to the big-rig as it burned and pulled Ballard out of the cabin, Parker said.
Ballard was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, Parker said.
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The pickup truck's driver refused medical attention, the officer said.
Hazardous materials were in the big-rig's trailer, and a Solano County hazardous materials team responded to the crash site, Parker said.
Westbound Highway 37 was shut down for several hours after the crash.
The connector from northbound Highway 29 to westbound Highway 37 was closed until about 2:55 p.m., according to the CHP.
The collision remains under investigation, Parker said.
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