**UPDATE: At approximately 3:55 p.m. one eastbound lane was reopened.** At approximately 12:45 p.m. on August 2, 2013, an 18-wheeler collided with the guardrail of a bridge spanning the east fork of the Trinity River on US Highway 80 just west the FM 460 exit.
After making impact, the 18-wheeler, operated by Carroll Fulmer Logistics Corporation, became engulfed in flames and, in a matter of minutes, the fire spread to the trailer. Initially, both eastbound and westbound lanes of US Highway 80 were closed. The westbound lanes were later reopened but the eastbound lanes remain closed while crews work to clear the debris.
TxDOT released this statement at 2:31 p.m. concerning the closure of the bridge: “There is no estimated time when the eastbound lanes will be open, but it will take several hours to remove debris and inspect the bridge once the fire is extinguished.”
TxDOT is advising drivers to use alternate routes such as I-20 or I-30 to avoid the area.
At 2:53 p.m., Forney Fire Department Chief Rick Townsend told inForney.com, “Fire crews have just controlled the fire and we have begun clearing the debris.” According to Townsend, the driver of the 18-wheeler was taken by CareFlite to an area hospital for “serious burn injuries.” No other vehicles were involved in the accident.
Two Forney firefighters were taken by ambulance to area hospitals to be treated for heat exhaustion. A heat advisory warning was placed in Kaufman County today and the heat index was estimated at 110 degrees.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, Terrell Fire Department, and Terrell’s Volunteer Fire Department were among departments who mutually assisted Forney during the accident.
An error was made in the original report stating the eastbound lanes had been reopened, it was, in fact, the westbound lanes that were initially reopened. The error has been corrected.