One person died tragically yesterday afternoon and several others were injured in a chain reaction crash involving multiple 18-wheelers along I-10 West in Louisiana.
Atchafalaya Basin Bridge 18-Wheeler Crash Left 5 Injured
The fiery wreck atop the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge occurred around 2:30 p.m. on August 26th. According to Louisiana State Police, a car appears to have lost control and hit the bridge rail, causing two of the 18-wheelers to collide. That collision triggered the chain reaction crash.
Although initial reports indicated there were no fatalities, fire crews recovered the burned body of one person hours later. Authorities have since confirmed that the victim was from out-of-state, but are withholding their identity pending family notification.
At least five others were hurt in the crash. Medical helicopters airlifted several of the injured to area hospitals, while the remaining traveled via ambulance. So far, officials have not identified those individuals or commented on the nature of their injuries; however, media reports indicate that at least one person is receiving treatment for burns.
2 18-Wheelers Were Hauling Hazardous Materials
The fire triggered by the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge crash continued to burn for four hours.
At least two of the rigs involved in the wreck were hauling hazardous materials, resulting in an evacuation order for areas within a half-mile of the crash site. In fact, as of 6:00 a.m. today, traffic along I-10 West was still being diverted at LA 415 North (Lobdell) to US 190 West.
Because the fire burned so hot for so long, there’s a possibility that the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge is no longer stable. So far, it’s not clear when the highway might reopen.
“With a fire that burns that hot, they’ll be checking the stability of the bridge to make sure it’s not deteriorated in any way before they open it back up,” Iberville Sheriff Brett Stassi told The Advocate late yesterday afternoon.
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