Driver uninjured but fire closes Interstate 90 due to flammable material
Jun. 28—PLANKINTON — The driver of a truck that caught fire Monday morning on Interstate 90 managed to escape uninjured. But authorities said the roadway was closed for multiple hours due to the blaze.
According to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, the 47-year-old man who was driving the truck — which contained flammable material — along I-90, roughly five miles west of Plankinton, pulled to the side of the road after a tire blew out. While he was parked on the shoulder of the interstate road, the axel of the truck caught on fire.
The 2015 Kenworth truck became fully engulfed in flames, as the driver was unable to extinguish the blaze. The truck was destroyed from the roadside fire.
Traffic heading eastbound on I-90 near the White Lake exit has been rerouted until crews contain the blaze and clear the area. The driver escaped the fire with no injuries. The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the incident, but no charges are pending against the driver at this time.
