MAY 22, 2015
IOWA CITY, IOWA
One man died after the semi-trailer truck he was in collided
Friday with the supports of the Dubuque Street bridge on Interstate 80 in Iowa
City.
According to a crash report from the Iowa State Patrol, a
semi-trailer truck carrying steel was westbound on I-80 near exit 244 at about
8:15 a.m. when it crashed into a bridge support and burst into flames.
Gary A. Griffey, 39, of Lafayette, Ind., a passenger in the
semi-trailer truck, died from his injuries. Griffey was not wearing a seat
belt, according to the report.
The driver of the semi-trailer truck, Shawn C. Freeman, 24,
of Plattsmouth, Neb., was injured in the accident, according to the report, but
not critically. Freeman was wearing a seat belt. Both men were transported to
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics by ambulance, where Griffey later
died.
Iowa State Patrol Lt. Randy Jones said Friday afternoon that
the semi-trailer truck drove through a guard rail and into the bridge's
supports and became engulfed in flames. Witnesses at the scene said they heard
explosions after the accident, Coralville Fire Chief Dave Stannard said.
Smoke from the burning semi-trailer truck could be seen from
miles away until fire crews from Iowa City and Coralville extinguished the
flames just after 8:30 a.m.
The accident shut down Dubuque Street over the bridge and
all lanes of Interstate 80.
The Dubuque Street bridge was closed for about two hours due
to concerns about the bridge's structural integrity after the semi-trailer
truck hit it. Iowa City Manager Tom Markus said officials with the Iowa
Department of Transportation checked the bridge and deemed it safe for vehicles
about 9:50 a.m.
Eastbound and westbound lanes of I-80 around the 244 exit
were closed after the accident, with traffic being diverted onto Dubuque
Street. Eastbound I-80 was reopened at about 8:40 a.m., with westbound lanes
reopening just after noon.
Source: http://www.press-citizen.com