A gasoline tanker exploded into a fireball on Interstate 595 Sunday morning after sideswiping a disabled Broward County Transit bus and crashing into a median wall, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The fiery crash stunned drivers and nearby residents alike, sending thick black smoke into the sky and briefly shutting down westbound lanes of the busy highway.
Fireball visible for miles
The crash happened around 10 a.m. on the inside shoulder of westbound I-595 near Flamingo Road. FHP officials said the tanker collided with an empty county bus that had broken down and was parked on the shoulder, then continued into the median wall before catching fire about a tenth of a mile west.
“The smoke was visible for miles,” said Fiorella Teodista, who lives nearby and heard the explosion from her home. “I heard like a super loud boom, and I looked out my window and I saw black, really black, smoke. It was super bad, really, really scary.”
Fire crews from Davie Police and Fire Rescue used foam to douse the flames. The driver of the tanker was transported to Broward Health Medical Center. His condition has not been released.
Eyewitnesses react to intense scene
Drivers on the highway were shaken by the intensity of the blaze.
“God, I hope everyone’s okay. Look at that. You can feel the heat. It looks like a tornado,” said one woman as she drove past the scene.
The driver of the bus was reportedly outside the vehicle when the crash occurred and was uninjured, according to a county spokesperson. The bus had been en route to a maintenance facility at the time.
“I was definitely scared that something could be propelled towards my community,” said Teodista. “But thankfully, it seemed to be contained.”
Westbound traffic was diverted to State Road 84 at the Hiatus Road exit as crews cleared the scene. All lanes of I-595 have since reopened.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
