Columbus Police continue to search for the driver of a black pickup truck who is accused of causing a fiery tanker crash that shut down an I-270/ SR 161 ramp on Sunday. Witnesses described a black pickup truck speeding and weaving between cars before causing an Englefield Oil tanker truck to overturn.
The ramp from Interstate 270 south to Route 161 reopened Monday morning, more than 12 hours after the dramatic tanker crash Sunday afternoon.
“It looked like the kind of thing you see in war movies,” Steve Bell explained, a crash witness. “It was just thick black smoke and explosion after explosion inside the fireball that was across both lanes and the entire underside of the bridge. It was 200 or 300 yards in the air. It was huge.”
The crash sent thick plumes of black smoke shooting skyward, as the tanker involved was carrying approximately 8,500 gallons of fuel, officials said.
Police said the driver of a pickup truck lost control on the exit ramp, collided with the tanker, causing it to overturn, and then drove off, heading east on Route 161.
The crash resulted in a massive fire, which required foam to extinguish, Columbus Fire Department spokesman Jeffrey Geitter said. The driver of the tanker was rushed to a hospital with minor injuries.
“I did see a pickup truck that appeared to be fleeing the scene,” one 911 caller said. “He veered off the side of the road, and he was kicking up a lot of dirt.”
The driver allegedly dropped the pickup at a nearby apartment and took off.
“A black GMC pickup truck that’s totally demolished came flying into our apartment complex, and they parked it and booked,” another 911 caller told dispatchers.
Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Jeff Geitter said crews encouraged onlookers to close their home and car windows and keep moving for their own health and safety.
A spokesperson for the Ohio EPA told ABC 6 the majority of the gasoline was burned by the fire. “There were no indications of downstream impacts,” an Ohio EPA spokesperson said. “The responsible party hired an environmental contractor to assist in the response and cleanup. Ohio EPA will continue to stay involved with and assist Incident Command as needed.
The Ohio EPA said the immediate air quality issues during the event were from fumes and smoke. Since the majority of the gasoline burned in the inferno, the threat of lingering air pollution dissipated into the atmosphere, according to the Ohio EPA.
“Obviously, smoke is always a toxin,” Geitter explained during a Sunday interview. “Whether it is a campsite, or something like this.”
The Franklin County EMA stated there is no threat to public health or the environment. The Ohio Department of Transportation confirmed that the ramp and bridge are structurally safe.
The driver of the tanker truck is still in stable condition on Monday at Riverside Methodist Hospital.
