INDIANAPOLIS – Tanker truck driver Dane Meadows and a very special passenger made it out of his big rig unharmed last month after a wreck caused the cab to ignite in flames.
The passenger, a light tan teddy bear given to him by his young daughter last Father’s Day, was about the only thing Meadows, 47, was able to save from the blaze.
According to a Facebook post from the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD), Meadows’ tractor-trailer blew a tire on June 10 while he was traveling along State Road 37, driving him into a guardrail and the median jersey barriers before his cab burst into flames.
The entire cab was destroyed.
Meadows told firefighters that the tanker was mostly empty but had some residual tar inside.
He was headed from Indianapolis to Mt. Vernon, Indiana.
“IFD Firefighters, assisted by Decaur Twp. Fire Department, were dispatched to the blaze, and due to the enormous amount of heavy black smoke in the air, marked it working prior to arrival,” the IFD Facebook post stated.
“Additional units were called in from the Indianapolis Airport, Madison Twp FD and White River Twp. FD to assist with water and tanker operations. Crews used a combination of water and Cold Fire (foam) to extinguish the blaze. It was marked under control in about 30 minutes. IFD Haz Mat crews mitigated a very small amount of diesel fuel from the saddle tank that leaked into the nearby ditch.”
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.
