Fuel tanker overturns, killing one and closing I-95 in North Carolina

Published 12:23 pm Monday, March 8, 2021

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A North Carolina man has died after his fuel tanker overturned on Interstate 95.

The Sunday morning accident near Smithfield left I-95 closed in both directions throughout the day.

News reports showed the flipped over tanker sitting in the highway median, affecting traffic on both sides.

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It was reported 4,000 gallons of gasoline spilled from the tanker.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the driver, 25-year-old Bryan Cook of Erwin, was driving south toward Fayetteville when he ran off the road and hit the guardrail around 6:15 a.m. Sunday. Neither speed nor impairment were factors in the crash.

The State Department of Transportation said the northbound lanes reopened before 5 p.m. Sunday, though congestion remained heavy. The southbound lanes were expected to reopen by 10 p.m.

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