https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEP28dCHfcE

•  A fuel delivery truck and a car crashed on a Connecticut bridge
• Videos show the bridge engulfed in flames
• The crash site's fencing and travel channels are severely damaged

An accident between a fuel delivery truck and a car ignited a spectacular fire on a major Connecticut highway bridge, with flames spreading to one side and officials closing Interstate 95 in both directions.

Officials reported that the vehicle driver was killed and that others were injured.

Fuel Truck Crash Causes Massive Fire on Connecticut Bridge

The collision occurred shortly before 11 a.m. on the southbound side of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge spanning the Thames River between New London and Groton. The Gold Star consists of two steel truss bridges, one for southbound and one for northbound traffic.

Reopening the northbound lanes and two southbound lanes on Friday evening provided drivers with respite. Per Fox News, the state's transportation commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said that more than 60,000 vehicles cross the spans daily.

At an afternoon news conference, Governor Ned Lamont and other officials stated that the truck leaked approximately 2,200 gallons of home heating oil, some of which entered the river. According to NBC News, environmental personnel from the state labored to contain the spill.

Mayor Keith Hedrick of Groton stated that flaming detritus descended from the bridge and caused brush fires below, but no one was injured. He also stated that no structures took fire, contradicting initial state police reports.

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Connecticut Fatal Truck Crash Video

Videos from the site depicted a lengthy section of the bridge engulfed in flames and fumes that spread to the Groton side. Officials have not identified the driver or any of the incident's victims.

Tragic accident today on Gold Star Bridge. Please avoid the area.

I will have more details to follow. pic.twitter.com/LPbnk15sBI

— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) April 21, 2023

After the fire was extinguished, videos revealed that a portion of the bridge's protective fence had dissolved entirely and burned on the road. The collision caused significant traffic congestion on a bustling stretch of Interstate 95, the primary north-south corridor on the East Coast.

The nearest bridge across the Thames River is located approximately 11 miles (18 kilometers) to the north, necessitating a lengthy detour. State Department of Transportation inspectors found no damage to the bridge's steel structure, according to agency spokesman Josh Morgan. It was unknown when the remaining lanes of the bridge would reopen.

Morgan also stated that the collision site's fencing and travel channels were severely damaged. A pedestrian walkway that spans the entire length of the bridge remains inaccessible. In January, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited New London to proclaim the awarding of $158 million from a new federal infrastructure law to expedite repairs to the northbound bridge.

According to Washington Post, Seth Bottone, 48, was leaving his job in Groton to return home when he witnessed the fumes and flames engulfing the bridge. Bottone captured a video of the flames while expressing audible astonishment. Bottone stated that officers then instructed motorists to turn around and travel northbound.

The US Naval Submarine Base New London is a short distance north of the bridge; to reach the Atlantic, the submarines stationed there must pass beneath the Gold Star. Navy spokesperson Nina Basantes stated that the incident did not affect operations at the submarine base. The Navy dispatched three fire engines and a team of firefighters to provide mutual aid at the scene.

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