Friday, January 9, 2015

HIGHWAY 55 AND 1633 INTERSECTION REMAINS CLOSED IN SPENCER COUNTY, KENTUCKY AFTER A FIERY CRUSH INVOLVING TWO TRACTOR TRAILERS. 2 DRIVERS WERE INJURED.



HIGHWAY 55 AND 1633 INTERSECTION REMAINS CLOSED IN SPENCER COUNTY, KENTUCKY AFTER A FIERY CRUSH INVOLVING TWO TRACTOR TRAILERS. 2 DRIVERS WERE INJURED.









SPENCER COUNTY, Ky. —The intersection of Highway 55 and Elk Creek Road,  also known as Highway 1633, in Spencer County will be closed for hours Friday evening after an earlier crash.


The crash involving two tractor-trailers happened around 10:30 a.m. Friday.

The Spencer County sheriff said commuters should find alternate routes home on Friday evening to avoid the area of the crash.


Sheriff Buddy Stump said the Purnell's semi and a grain hauler were involved in a crash. Both drivers were taken to University Hospital. One was taken by ambulance and the other flown.


Both drivers are said to be in stable condition.

No injuries have been reported at this time.

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UPDATE







TWO SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN SEMI TRUCKS COLLIDE, EXPLODE IN SPENCER COUNTY, KY

SPENCER COUNTY, Ky. —Two semitrucks crashed in Spencer County, causing a fire and explosion Friday morning.

The accident sent two men to University Hospital with serious injuries.
At last check, both men were in stable condition.

One man was flown to University Hospital from the crash scene.
Detectives are still investigating exactly what caused the crash.
Frankie Reinle was inside her home when she heard an explosion.
“And so we went outside and by the time we got out there, we heard another explosion and so we looked around and it was like black smoke everywhere and fire and another explosion and tires were flying off the semitruck." said Reinle.

A cloud of smoke rose from the intersection of Highway 55 and Elk Creek Road.
Two semis had collided.

"One of the semis was overturned and one caught on fire," said Sheriff Buddy Stump. "Some fuel spilled; there looked like one of the fuel tanks came off and possibly exploded."
Reinle says other drivers got out of their vehicles and ran toward the crash to help, but the flames and smoke were just too intense.

"It was just fast -- fire, smoke and explosion," said Reinle. "I just wanted to cry because I thought if someone is in the cab of that truck, they didn’t make it."
Authorities say the driver of the truck that caught-fire made it out.

Both drivers, from the local area, were seriously hurt.

Spencer County Sheriff Buddy Stump knows one of the victims. "When you are working those kinds of accidents and it’s a friend involved sometimes it is a little difficult," he said.
"My heart goes out to him and his families, both of them," said Reinle.  
The crash shut down the busy intersection of Elk Creek Road and Highway 55 for about seven hours.

A grain truck and a Purnell sausage truck were the semis involved.