CINCINNATI (WLWT) — Police responded to a crash that saw a semi-truck smash through an overpass barrier on Sunday evening, resulting in two people becoming suspended in the vehicle’s cabin above Interstate 71.
According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, the crash happened around 5 p.m. on the Martin Luther King Drive overpass that extends across I-71 in Avondale.
A short time later, WLWT cameras captured the truck dangling above the highway while diesel fuel could be seen leaking from the bottom of the truck.
The Cincinnati Fire Department later confirmed that approximately 200 gallons of fuel is estimated to have been inside the truck at the time of the crash, causing much of that to accumulate onto the roadway below after the vehicle’s gas tank ruptured.
CFD added that two people were inside the vehicle at the time of the crash, with each having to be strapped into harnesses and assisted out of the truck by first responders. The extent of the injuries suffered by the two remains unknown.
About two and a half hours after the crash, the truck was eventually seen being pulled back onto Martin Luther King Drive by work crews and towed away from the overpass.
As a result of the damage done to the area, road closures and lane restrictions are expected to be implemented nearby until at least Monday morning, with commuters advised to plan accordingly. This includes the eastbound lanes of Martin Luther King Drive being reduced to one lane, as well as the nearby entrance ramp from MLK to I-71 South remaining closed. Additionally, the exit ramp from I-71 South to William Howard Taft Road will also be closed. All other roads in the area are expected to reopen by the end of Sunday night.
First responders say that they will continue to provide more information about the crash as it becomes available to them.
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