PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The driver of a tractor-trailer that overturned, sparking a fire underneath a major Philadelphia interstate that resulted in the collapse of an overpass in 2023, failed to slow down on the exit ramp, federal investigators said.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued its final report in the June 2023 crash at an Interstate 95 exit ramp and “found probable cause” that the driver exited the highway above the posted speed limit.
In addition, NTSB says it’s possible that driver fatigue played a role in the incident. The truck driver was killed in the accident; there were no other deaths or injuries.
Another factor in the intense blaze that collapsed part of the highway was the driver’s failure to secure a manhole cover on the truck, which was transporting about 8,500 gallons of gasoline.
The NTSB’s findings come after state officials had said earlier that the driver lost control of the vehicle on the exit ramp. Federal officials also had earlier flagged the open manhole cover as an issue.
I-95 reopened less than two weeks after the collapse, a quicker-than-expected rebuild to get traffic flowing again on a heavily traveled stretch of the East Coast’s main north-south highway.
Among the “lessons learned” the NTSB cited in its report were the importance of mitigating commercial truck driver fatigue and the benefit of electronic stability control, a system designed to prevent rollovers. The truck did not have the system, investigators said, but it could have stopped the rollover even with the truck traveling over the posted speed limit.
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stability control is not tge answer. when you have a mindless computer applying brakes, and taking tge steering wheel out of your control, you are asking for problems!
I am a driver with 38 years of off road, and mountain driving in a truck. and this system can cause more accidents than it prevents on these kinds of roads.
just recently retired after 48 years of driving tractor trailers never had a chargeable accident or even a moving violation after all these years also hold many awards and recieved employee of the month many times and I live one exit up at academy rd exit where that tragedy happened too one of our brothers.i have too agree with Martin’s post the best stability control is in the seat of your pants all these electronic devices that supposedly are to help with controlling mishaps actually contributed too them ..I agree pretrip was not performed correctly especially with his manhole being left opened but as for dot saying his shift change made him more tired he was and still is a professional driver and where in the world do us commercial hiway engineers have a set schedule? sometimes we sleep during the night other times where up all night maneuvering that endless black ribbon..they are using this gentelman as a scape goat because this ramp is so poorly designed. you can get off that ramp going hiway speeds then this almost hairpin curve comes up on you..stop dumping all your dot outcomes on us drivers because of poorly designed roads .God bless him and his family. be safe out there and keep the shinny side up.