MACEDONIA, Ohio — State Route 8 closed in both directions between E. Aurora Road and E. Highland Road in Macedonia Saturday morning due to a fiery crash.
According to officials, the fiery crash was the result of a tanker truck explosion. At 9:15 a.m., Macedonia police and the Summit County Sheriff's Office responded to Interstate 271 North in Northfield Center Township for reports of a crash.
One woman driving Northbound on State Route 8 says she’s never experienced anything like this before, and she said it’s something she’ll never forget.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. This is probably the craziest thing I’ve seen,” said Teleza Reeves.
What started off as a normal morning for Reeves had an unexpected turn of events.
“I just happened to see smoke and flames like in the air, and I’m like ‘Oh my gosh,’ I’m praying everyone is okay,” said Reeves.
Reeves recorded what she saw and continued to pray for everyone’s safety.
Meanwhile, nearby neighbors like Dennis Sakal told News 5 that he came outside after hearing a loud bang.
“As I walked out, right over the bridge here, a big pillow of smoke, real thick black smoke and just that quick the fire kind of spread to my left,” said Sakal.
At the time, Sakal said he didn’t know what happened or what this would mean for him and his family.
“I wasn’t sure if we were going to have to evacuate or how bad of a deal it was going to be,” said Sakal.
Eventually, he and Reeves learned the driver of this tanker truck lost control and went over the side of the bridge after attempting to get on I-271 North from State Route 8.
“The flames were just so strong, and it was so hot you could smell the smoke in your car without rolling down the windows,” said Reeves.
The truck then landed on the Northbound lanes of State Route Eight, spilling more than 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel.
Eventually, the tanker truck burst into flames, where Macedonia Mayor Nick Molnar said the driver died from injuries sustained in the crash.
“We just know the driver of the truck that’s been involved so far. I don’t think we have anyone else that was injured to our knowledge,” said Molnar.
Macedonia Molnar said there were other vehicles in the vicinity when the crash occurred, but no other drivers aside from the tanker truck driver reported injuries from the incident.
The Summit County HAZMAT Team, Macedonia Fire Department, Twinsburg Fire Department, and other local fire departments responded to the scene. In total, there were about 60 firefighters on the scene.
The crash is under investigation by the Summit Metro Crash Team.
According to officials, crews are addressing diesel from the tanker that flowed into a nearby river and down into Brandywine Creek.
"We feel around 7,000 to 7,500 gallons of fuel ignited, and we have containment teams on site right now for EPA, and we're cleaning up the mess as it comes," said Molnar.
Brandywine Creek briefly caught fire due to the fuel, and at this time, the fire has been put out, according to officials.
The Environmental Protection Agency has responded and is working to assess and clear the scene. Residents nearby are asked to let crews do their work.
Once truck debris has been removed, response crews can begin excavating impacted soils, officials said.
The ramp from State Route 8 to I-271 N is currently closed, and State Route 8 southbound is closed. It will remain closed until the bridge can be inspected for safety.
Drivers are asked to avoid the area until further notice.
