Tractor-trailer crash on I-95 cleared

BRIDESBURG (WPVI) -- I-95 in the Bridesburg section of Philadelphia was reopened by mid-afternoon Tuesday after a tractor-trailer carrying trash overturned in the early morning hours.

According to PennDOT spokesman Gene Blaum, 250 feet of damaged guide rails have were removed and replaced with temporary concrete barriers.

The crash happened at 3:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes of the interstate near the Bridge Street exit.

Police say a tractor trailer had been traveling southbound in the left lane, lost control, and veered into the guardrail, crushing it and also taking out a sign instructing trucks not to travel in the left lane.

That sign then hit a minivan that was traveling northbound, but there was only minor damage to that vehicle.

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The tractor trailer ended up smashed over both sides of the highway, the trash it was carrying scattered, and the fuel tank ruptured. 75 gallons of fuel spilled.

Traffic was immediately reduced to one lane in both directions. Backups on both sides of the highway grew longer and longer as the morning rush hour arrived.

And the huge number of drivers trying to get around the crash gridlock in the surrounding neighborhoods, like along Torresdale Avenue in Wissinoming.

A large tow truck had arrived on the scene by 5:30 a.m. to right the vehicle, and hazmat crews were on the scene to deal with fuel spill.

After 6:00 a.m. the tractor trailer was pulled upright, but the cleanup process was extensive.

A front-end loader helped scoop up the piles of trash that littered the roadway. Crews placed absorbent materials on the road to clear the fuel.

As for the driver, he was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital with lacerations to his arm. He was said to be in stable condition.

There was no immediate word on what charges might be filed in connection with the accident.