Driver lost control of tanker truck moments before fire that caused I-95 collapse, officials say
The driver who died when his tanker truck carrying gasoline burned beneath Interstate 95 in Philadelphia lost control of the vehicle in the moments before it flipped over on an off-ramp, officials say.
The incident caused a portion of the major East Coast highway to collapse, and the subsequent closure led to traffic delays for commuters in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey in June.
On June 11, the 53-year-old driver lost control of the tanker truck on an off-ramp with a posted speed limit of 25-mph and a sign warning truck drivers about potential rollovers, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report released Thursday. The posted speed limit along the highway near where the off-ramp rollover happened was 55 mph, the report says.
The report does not say how fast the driver may have been going when he lost control of the tanker truck.
Photos of the off-ramp where the truck rolled over released by NTSB show a swooping bend of road, with the asphalt curving the most just before it passes beneath the multilane interstate.
The tanker truck was carrying about 8,500 gallons of gasoline from Wilmington, Delaware, to a gas station in Philadelphia, according to the NTSB.
"The truck driver was unable to maintain control of the combination vehicle on the off-ramp," the report says.
The NTSB and state and local authorities are investigating to determine the "probable cause" of the incident.
The collapsed northbound section of I-95 reopened June 23, ahead of schedule.
Why did driver lose control on I-95 off ramp?
It's unclear why the driver lost control of his tanker truck, according to the NTSB's preliminary report.
Earlier in June, Pennsylvania State Police also concluded the driver wasn't able to maintain control of the vehicle on the off-ramp, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The tanker truck was operated by an affiliate carrier leased to Penn Tank Lines, according to the NTSB.
Nathan S. Moody, the driver who died during the incident, worked for TK Transport, a gas-hauling company based just across the Delaware River from northeast Philadelphia in New Jersey, the Inquirer reported.
Information from the U.S. Department of Transportation said TK Transport was "not authorized" to operate on interstates following another crash in 2015 on the Betsy Ross Bridge connecting Philadelphia and New Jersey, the Inquirer reported. The site of the 2015 crash is less than a 10 minute drive from the deadly June 11 crash.
The NTSB's investigation is ongoing "with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar events," the Thursday report says.
I-95 reopened less than 2 weeks after collapse
The damaged portion of I-95 reopened with six temporary lanes. A permanent bridge will be constructed.
“This was a moment of civic pride for Philly and Pennsylvania. We all came together and we proved that we could do big things again in Pennsylvania,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said.
After he spoke, a procession of fire engines — one carrying Philadelphia's pro sports mascots — and police vehicles crossed the northbound lanes of I-95.
The 24-hour construction work was livestreamed, drawing thousands of viewers.