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Police: No deaths or serious injuries from I-75 tanker explosion

Posted at 1:52 PM, Jul 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-12 15:11:23-04

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP (WXYZ) — There were no deaths or serious injuries from a tanker explosion that happened Saturday evening on a metro Detroit freeway, police say.

A fuel tanker rolled over and exploded as it was exiting I-75 at Opdyke Road in Bloomfield Township around 8:30 p.m. The accident caused more than 13,000 gallons of fuel to spill onto the roadway.

The 50-year-old driver was able to exit the truck on his own, and was treated by Bloomfield Township first responders on the scene.

The roll-over crash caused a fireball as the truck burst into flames, leading to a HAZMAT response. Due to environmental concerns, the Michigan Department of Transportation will be doing ground sampling at the site of the explosion. There is no indication of health threats following air quality samples from the area being evaluated, investigators said.

Still, the Opdyke Road exit is expected to remain closed for at least a week as the investigation continues.