Off-duty firefighters swiftly responded to a harrowing situation, providing aid to a tanker truck driver following a fiery rollover crash that resulted in extended lane closures and significant traffic congestion on Interstate 595 in Davie.
The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon when the tanker rolled over and ignited, prompting the closure of all westbound lanes near Nob Hill Road. The highway remained inaccessible to traffic until slightly after 9 p.m.
Numerous agencies were dispatched to manage the blaze near the Nob Hill Road exit, including Davie Fire Rescue, Hollywood Fire Rescue, and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue’s hazmat team.
The tanker was transporting waste products and sustained damage to its fuel lines. According to officials, the driver was traveling west when the vehicle swerved, tipped over, and caught fire. The billowing smoke was visible from several miles away, and cellphone footage captured firefighters battling the flames engulfing the truck.
Hovering above the scene, 7Skyforce observed off-duty firefighters from Fort Lauderdale, North Lauderdale, and Lauderhill fire departments as they collaborated to place the victim on a stretcher and transfer him into a Davie Fire Rescue ambulance.
Steven Fernandez of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue shared, “We help every day, whether it’s a little bit or a lot. The only difference is when we’re working, we expect to help others – we’re waiting for it, almost, for a call to come in – but it’s nice to be able to do it when you’re off-duty as well.”
One of the off-duty firefighters who immediately offered assistance to the truck driver was Lee Martin from Lauderhill Fire Rescue.
He recounted the experience, saying, “I got all the way to the side, and I could see the black smoke. I hopped over the express lanes. I saw that the pole was knocked down, so that was blocking traffic. Three other truckers were yelling at me that there was a guy still inside. You could look under the smoke and see that he was still lying in the fuel.”
Martin, who had only been with the department for a year, knew that he had to act swiftly to aid the victim. He described his actions, saying, “I took one of the trucker’s shirts. Along with another trucker, we went in, I tied [the driver’s] hands up, and the other guy tied his feet, and we dragged him out to get him away from the truck. He was actually still on fire when I pulled him out, and I was able to take my shirt and pat him down and get the fire out, so that was good. That’s the first thing you’re supposed to do.”
The collective efforts of the rescue teams at the scene eventually managed to extinguish the flames. Martin expressed his gratitude, saying, “I’m glad that the timing worked out because we were able to give that guy a fighting chance.”
The driver of the vehicle, a man in his 30s, was transported to Broward Health Medical Center with severe burns and is currently listed in critical condition.
Cleanup and recovery operations enabled the truck to be righted. However, due to debris and safety concerns at the scene, the westbound lanes of the highway had to remain closed. Florida Highway Patrol troopers and Road Rangers were deployed to divert traffic onto University Drive, and they began allowing drivers who had been stuck in hours-long gridlock to move into the still-closed express lanes, heading west.
7Skyforce footage revealed the extensive westbound traffic congestion stretching all the way to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport near the intersection with I-95. Motorists were advised to seek alternative routes and avoid the area.
Sources: News Miami
