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Blazing big rig closes Irving, Texas, highway

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Blazing big rig closes Irving, Texas, highway
A tractor-trailer is engulfed in flames on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, along Highway 114 in Irving, Texas. No injuries were reported. (Irving Fire Department)

IRVING, Texas — A truck driver escaped injury on Wednesday, April 19, after their tractor-trailer caught fire on a busy Texas highway.

According to the Irving Fire Department (IFD), the big rig was located at Highway 114 underneath the Highway 161 overpass.

Fire crews arrived on scene at 1:48 p.m. to fight the blaze, which caused multiple traffic lanes to close.

The IFD said that the bridge columns did not sustain structural damage. Officials didn’t say how the fire, which completely engulfed and destroyed the vehicle and its trailer, started.

The Trucker News Staff

The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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24 Comments

it’s because the bridge was built for regular vehicles like pickup trucks and cars..not semi trucks and trailers,I’ve seen this happen in gta v

I drove by this incident and I wondered why the rig, if on fire, couldn’t just go the length of the rig further. it some how magically stopped under an overpass that carries a massive amounts of commuters

I pray the driver is OK and is alive.. I’m a trucker, sometimes these things happen unexpectedly. don’t assume just because it blew up under the bridge or just the rig caught on fire. Usually only the rig catches fire because of fuel tanks. only refrigerated trailers have fuel. Don’t assume everything is an attack. Prayers for the family.

You must wonder why these rigs are happening around bridge structures and train derailments and if they are connected.Sabotage

Gee, I really miss living in Dallas, where they’ll close down freeways for far less reason than this, and where you’ll get stuck in traffic for an hour, only to discover it was because someone was changing a flat tire on the side of the road, and everybody were stopping to stare at it.
The good part was the driver was okay, thank God. Because dying in a fiery vehicle would be such a barrel of fun. I hope his employers don’t blame him for the woke, flat-earth computer system which likely caused it.

driver decided to take the express lane last minute hitting the guard rail on the passenger side….clipped the fuel tank an instantly ignited after that truck an trailer were compromised

If that’s true then i don’t think this driver got what he deserved. I always get stuck behind one of these buffoons going 10 MPH slower than the speed limit and a line of cars behind them. These clowns have no consideration for anyone else.

You’re right, we probably go slow because we can’t go any faster stupid to bring food, clothing and everything you see around your house, specially toilet paper for your nasty ass.

The trucks are sanctioned at designated speed limits set by the contractor and company. The drivers don’t always have a choice. And just as weary of commuters are of rigs, they’re worried about little cars too. I am a dispatcher and just in my area, I’ve seen trucks cut off, forced to exit, people won’t let them change lanes, etc. I’ll tell you right now, i will go 40 if it means letting a trucker over providing safe clearance to change lanes.

I too will slow down and blink my headlamps to allow a big rig access to where they need to go. People don’t understand that a big rig cannot stop quickly or change lanes just because someone wants to cut them off.
A sign of our times. Only think of yourself.

Clearly you have not driven a big rig in your life. Your ignorance of the trucking law make you post idiotic statements like this. Here’s a fact for you, buffoon 4 wheelers like you are the most common cause of big rig accidents. You inconsiderate prick!

How ignorant are u, which is why you drive on 4 wheels and not anything else.
Most trucks can’t go any faster because of safety reasons and the weight of the load they are carrying.
Any person who operates such trucks are making a huge sacrifice to move our economy.
Nobody deserves any such situation.
Take my advice and think before you say.
Your probably one of these people who don’t even have no business driving.
One who can’t chew gum and walk at the same time.
My prayers are with the driver and his family.
Truly grateful that no one was injured.
Stay encouraged driver.
This message is from another driver.

driver decided to take the express lane last minute hitting the guard rail on the passenger side….clipped the fuel tank an instantly ignited after that truck an trailer were compromised
I worked the scene just saying…..

If that’s true then i don’t think this driver got what he deserved. I always get stuck behind one of these buffoons going 10 MPH slower than the speed limit and a line of cars behind them. These clowns have no consideration for anyone else.

Bob your thought process is stuck and slower than what you perceive of this incident! You might want to check your brain before you say something that totally doesn’t make any sense.

The trucks are sanctioned at designated speed limits set by the contractor and company. The drivers don’t always have a choice. And just as weary of commuters are of rigs, they’re worried about little cars too. I am a dispatcher and just in my area, I’ve seen trucks cut off, forced to exit, people won’t let them change lanes, etc. I’ll tell you right now, i will go 40 if it means letting a trucker over providing safe clearance to change lanes.

It still ends up being because of speeding. Very, very difficult to maneuver in traffic if the speed at the moment of decision is more than the vehicle can complete safely. Not that the speed limit was wrong just that the decision may not have allowed for the attempt to be made correctly. It is a matter of choice and timing.

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