Flames as high as 200 feet engulfed an upstate New York highway Thursday night after an 18-wheeler carrying some type of compressed natural gas crashed into a railroad bridge while a train was passing.
Incredible photos and videos posted online showed flames shooting from the tractor-trailer following the crash as the fire tore through the Maple Avenue Bridge in Glenville, which has been the scene of multiple collisions this year alone.
Truck driver Sylvester Basil Jr., of Clute, Texas, suffered third-degree burns to his hands and face and was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center, authorities said.
The fire also temporarily left those in the surrounding areas without power as nearby homes were evacuated.
“It’s a significant explosion,” Town Supervisor Chris Koetzle told WNYT. “It’s by far the most affected bridge, by far.”
Police say Basil was traveling from Pennsylvania to make a delivery to an unknown location about an hour north of the Maple Avenue Bridge when he crashed into it around 6:30 p.m.
Firefighters respond after a tractor-trailer crashed into a railroad bridge and burst into flames in Glenville, N.Y., Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. AP High flames engulfed an upstate New York highway Thursday night after an 18-wheeler crashed into a railroad bridge while a train was passing. AP
He told officers that he did not see multiple signs indicating that the bridge was low.
Despite suffering severe burns, Basil was conscious and was able to walk to an ambulance that arrived at the scene as state and local emergency crews worked to contain the inferno, police said.
The video also showed that a train was passing over the bridge at the time of the collision, but miraculously suffered no known damage.
A firefighter works at the scene after a tractor-trailer crashed into a railroad bridge. AP truck driver Sylvester Basil Jr. was headed to an unknown location about an hour from the Maple Avenue Bridge transporting some type of compressed natural gas during the incident, according to reports. WRGB
Police Chief Stephen Janik told the Daily Gazette that “with the amount of fire that was here,” he would have expected the train to have been “engulfed.”
As the fire spread, local residents flocked to the scene.
One man, Peter Sweet, a former nurse, said he was driving home at the time and saw the light flashing and smoke drifting into the sky.
Truck driver Sylvester Basil Jr., of Clute, Texas, suffered third-degree burns to his hands and face and was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center, authorities said. WRGB
He followed emergency services to the scene and decided to help treat the driver, he told the Daily Gazette.
“I just kept him calm, asked him where he was from and told him I was going to take good care of him,” Sweet said.
“But his hands were pretty burned.”
Police Chief Stephen Janik said that “with the amount of fire that was here,” he would have expected the train to have been “engulfed.” Courtesy of David and Angela Atkins
Police said Thursday night Maple Avenue would be closed for “an undetermined period of time while the accident scene is secured and the investigation can be conducted.”
There is not expected to be any environmental impact in the area, as the truck was not carrying liquid fuel, according to WNYT.
But the truck still needed to be removed from the site, and Koetzle said engineers could examine possible damage to the steel bridge as early as Friday.
The bridge has been the scene of multiple collisions.
The fire also temporarily left those in the surrounding areas without power as nearby homes were evacuated, according to authorities. WRGB The bridge has reportedly been the scene of multiple collisions. Courtesy of David Terwilliger
Over the past year, he was attacked twice in September and once in May, June and July, the Daily Gazette reports.
“We have to bring the state and the county together, and we have to address this issue,” Koetzle said after the most recent accident.
“This is a very dangerous area. Tonight, this just highlights that.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn