Interstate 75 closed Tuesday following wreck involving tanker truck

Interstate 75 in northern Whitley County was closed to traffic Tuesday morning following a wreck in which a tanker trailer began leaking gasoline.

Whitley County Emergency Management Director Danny Moses said the interstate was closed in both directions between exits 15 and 25 beginning about 3:30 a.m. when two tractor-trailer trucks collided while traveling north near the 24-mile marker.

Moses said several people were taken by ambulance to a local hospital, but that none of the injuries were life threatening.

The tanker, which was carrying 9,300 gallons of gasoline, came to rest in the median.

“There was about 1,100 gallons of gasoline from the tanker that we can’t account for,” Moses said in describing the cleanup efforts.

Moses explained that while the vehicles were not blocking the southbound lanes, emergency personnel closed them to traffic because of gasoline fumes coming from the tanker.

Traffic in both directions was rerouted onto U.S. 25W between the two exits as another tanker was brought in to offload approximately 6,000 gallons of gasoline.

Another truck was brought in to haul the tanker trailer from the scene, which still contained approximately 2,000 gallons of gasoline. The original truck was towed from the scene.

The southbound lanes were reopened to traffic at approximately 8:40 a.m. The northbound lanes were reopened just before 10 a.m.

Kentucky State Police Division of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement is continuing the investigation into the crash.

They were assisted by Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies, Kentucky State Police, Corbin Police, Corbin Fire Department, Williamsburg Police, Williamsburg Fire Department, Goldbug Fire Department, Rockholds Fire Department and Whitley County EMS.