SEMINARY, MS – A military semi tanker truck flipped over and crashed Saturday afternoon, August 14, bursting into flames on a highway in Covington County, Mississippi. The fiery tanker truck accident occurred in the southbound lanes of Mississippi State Highway 49 near the town of Seminary, MS. The accident area is in the southeast section of the state just outside the Hattiesburg metro region, about 69 miles southeast of Jackson, MS and about 122 miles northwest of Mobile, Alabama.
Early Saturday afternoon a U.S. military semi tanker truck was traveling south on Highway 49 in Covington County, MS. There was reportedly one driver and one passenger in the cab of the truck. The tanker was carrying a cargo of dangerous materials. Authorities did not release any details of the exact nature of the cargo but one source identified it as jet fuel.
As the unidentified truck driver traveled south on Highway 49 near the town of Seminary, MS the tanker truck went out of control for unknown reasons. According to one witness the military tanker truck “suddenly went airborne”. After flying through the air the tanker truck crashed and flipped over on its side on the edge of the highway.
The impact of the truck accident damaged the tank and it burst into flames. Black plumes of fiery smoke quickly filled the air and could be seen from a distance. If the unknown cargo was in fact jet fuel then the flammable material may have fed the truck fire, causing it to grow.
No other vehicles or persons were involved in the truck accident.
Local firefighters and members of the National Guard quickly responded to the scene of the fiery truck accident. Rescuers were able to reach the driver and passenger in the cab and were able to pull them out of the burning truck. According to authorities the two unidentified occupants were not seriously injured in the rollover collision and fire.
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The tanker continued to burn while firefighters from Covington County, Seminary, and Sanford battled the flames. Once the flames were extinguished the firefighters poured foam on the wreckage of the fiery truck accident and National Guard soldiers worked to get the military tanker truck back up on its wheels so it could be removed from the highway.
Local police shut down a section of Highway 49 around the truck accident site. According to officials both north and southbound lanes were cordoned off due to the potentially dangerous materials in the tanker. The lane closures would back up traffic for several miles in both directions and would last for a good portion of the afternoon. The highway lanes were cleared and traffic lanes reopened at around 3:00 p.m. Saturday.
At this point it is not known why the military tanker truck went out of control and overturned. It is believed that U.S. military officials will take the lead in the truck accident investigation along with the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
At this time they have not released any information on the identities of the driver and passenger or the charges they may face if found responsible for the truck accident.
The incident remains under investigation.
Published by Atlanta Georgia truck accident lawyer Fried Goldberg LLC, nationwide truck accident lawyers specializing in commercial truck injury law across the United States. For more information about Mississippi trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, talk to a qualified truck attorney for a free initial consultation at 1.877.591.1801.