Gasoline Tanker Fire Causes I-95 Collapse Near Philadelphia

Update 06/20/2023

Demolition of the section of I-95 damaged by a recent gasoline tanker fire near Philadelphia was completed on Friday, June 16. Re-building has begun, with crews working around the clock. On Saturday, the governor of Pennsylvania tweeted that he was confident "We will have I-95 open within the next two weeks."

CBS News Philadelphia shared the following video:

Original Article (Published 6/12/23)

A gasoline tanker fire near Philadelphia claimed the life of a truck driver this week and caused a section of I-95 to collapse. The fire broke out between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM ET under an overpass below the northbound side of the Interstate. 

I-95 is a major transportation artery between New York City and Philadelphia. This incident underscores the immense risk posed by hazardous materials in transportation, and even by common hazmat commodities like gasoline. Gasoline is typically classified as flammable liquid (Class 3) for transportation. 

Reportedly, the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating an exit ramp. The vehicle hit a wall and crashed onto its side, damaging the tanker and starting the fire.  

USAToday provided drone footage of the incident scene. 

NTSB Incident Investigation 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) initiated an investigation into the incident and plans to make a preliminary report available in 2 to 3 weeks. NTSB tweeted the following from an official account: 

I-95 is currently closed in both directions around the incident scene. More than 150,000 drivers pass over the affected section of I-95 each day, NPR reports. Early reports indicate that the disruption to normal transportation will resume for the forseeable future, as crews may need months to demolish and restore the roadway. 

Tags: hazardous materials, hazmat incident, hazmat shipping, incident reporting