BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – All lanes were blocked on Interstate 95 near Atlantic Boulevard for over 11 hours Tuesday after a tanker truck rolled over in the northbound lanes — spilling thousands of gallons of fuel onto the highway, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Lt. Yanko Reyes, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol, said the tanker flipped over about 7:15 a.m. and spilled 9,000 gallons of fuel all over I-95.
“By rolling over, all of the fuel spilled onto I-95 northbound and southbound,” Reyes said.
Firefighters quickly sprayed foam onto the tanker truck. Personnel from the Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Margate and Broward County fire departments responded.
Reyes said a woman who was driving a sedan cut off the driver of the tanker truck after she drove over barrier poles to exit the express lane. She and the driver of the tanker truck suffered minor injuries, Reyes said.
“This could have caused an explosion,” Reyes said. “Someone could have lost their life.”
Over the last couple of days, new poles for an express lane were just put up in the area between Cypress Creek Road and Atlantic Boulevard.
“As new poles are being installed, separating the toll lanes, there is little warning of work being done,” said Isaac Smilovits, who said he drove past the accident right after it occurred.
Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Bill Canedo said engineers are reviewing the newly installed poles after the crash. In the meantime, while FHP has since reopened the road, the inside left lane northbound will remain closed while FDOT repairs the damaged asphalt.
Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor/Futures Planner Kerry Weston contributed to this report.