A June 11 traffic accident involving two tractor-trailers on I-55 in Crystal City left one of the big rigs destroyed by fire and area traffic snarled for hours.
Crystal City Fire Chief Tony Bova said it was hard to believe no one was injured in the crash, which happened when one semi rear-ended the other.
“It was a miracle no one was killed,” Bova said.
The accident happened about 2:10 p.m. on northbound I-55 at the 174 mile marker south of Mercy Hospital Jefferson.
Law enforcement agencies could not provide details about the accident at Leader deadline, but Bova said one semi was hauling lumber and the other vehicle was pulling a tanker trailer. The semi that was hauling lumber caught fire.
All northbound and southbound lanes were closed for a while, with southbound lanes reopening at 4:25 p.m., one northbound lane reopening around 8:10 p.m. and all the remaining lanes reopening by 10:35 p.m., Capt. Patrick Friedmeyer said.
Bova said some road repairs were needed before the lanes could reopen.
“MoDOT (Missouri Department of Transportation) had to resurface part of the road when we were done (clearing the scene of the accident),” he said.
Firefighters were on the scene until 6:45.m., Bova said.
Friedmeyer said the incident was classified a first-alarm vehicle accident due to the size of the fire and extreme temperatures (in the 90s).
The Festus and Herculaneum fire departments and the Hematite and Jefferson R-7 fire protection districts, as well as the Joachim-Plattin Ambulance District, responded to the scene.