2 dead, 1 injured as fiery tanker truck crash closes Pa. Turnpike I-476 in Montgomery County; southbound lanes reopen

A section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension in Montgomery County remains closed Saturday evening after a crash led to a massive tanker truck fire, prompting a hazardous materials response.

The southbound lanes have reopened, but all northbound lanes remain closed on Interstate 476 between Mid-County Exit 20 and Lansdale Exit 31. Turnpike officials said the closure was expected to last through at least the evening rush hour, with “no ETA to reopen the roadway.”

CBS Philadelphia reported that two people were dead and one person injured, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The crash involved the tanker truck and two other vehicles, state police said.

Photos and video shared to social media, including one by passing driver Hector Lucena, showed large flames engulfing a tanker truck with the words “Jet Fuel” on it, off to the side of the northbound lanes. The tanker appeared to have crashed into a car.

Just before the tanker, the highway was covered with debris.

As of 2 p.m., the fire appeared to have been extinguished, aerial video taken by CBS Philadelphia showed.

The incident started around 10:30 a.m., according to a Turnpike advisory. It happened around mile marker 26 in Worcester Township.

Turnpike employees worked throughout the morning and afternoon to direct traffic stuck on the highway to the emergency access gates. Eventually crews removed a section of the concrete median, allowing vehicles stuck on I-476 north to turn around.

At around 3 p.m., the Turnpike in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, said that all vehicles in the traffic queue had been U-turned

All trapped queue has been U-Turned. If you are still in the closed section of I-476 North / South between Mid-County Exit #20 & Lansdale Exit # 31 – Call *11 (Star 11) and tell the dispatcher your milepost location so we can get you U-Turned. pic.twitter.com/NRt7LOnYhz

— PA Turnpike Alerts (@PATurnpikeAlert) October 21, 2023

Anyone still stuck in the closed section of highway was advised to dial *11 and tell the dispatcher their milepost location so crews can get them U-turned.

Earlier, Turnpike officials warned that clearing the highway of traffic would be a “slow process.” Northbound traffic could not proceed — and thus had to be turned around — due to damage to the highway and a bridge that “needs inspected to make sure it is safe for vehicle travel.”

Due to the nature of the hazmat incident, authorities had earlier requested that drivers who were stuck on the highway near the fire remain in their vehicles.

Crews are u-turning vehicles to gate at mile 23. This is a slow process. Unfortunately traffic can not be released north due to fire keeps reigniting & also damage to roadway/bridge that needs inspected to make sure it is safe for vehicle travel. Crews are now en-route with…

— PA Turnpike Alerts (@PATurnpikeAlert) October 21, 2023

CBS Philadelphia reported that residents were briefly evacuated from homes on two nearby roads.

Northbound traffic was advised to follow this detour:

• Take I-276 East: 5.1 miles
• Take Route 309 North: 5.4 miles
• Take Route 63 West: 6.5 miles
• Take Forty Fort Road to continue on Route 63 West: 1.7 miles
• Take Sumneytown Pike to continue on Route 63 West: 0.2 miles
• Re-enter Turnpike (I-476) at Lansdale Exit 31

Check back for updates.

Due to the northbound incident I-476 South is CLOSED at Lansdale Exit # 31. Detour pic.twitter.com/ZpWp1PW98H

— PA Turnpike Alerts (@PATurnpikeAlert) October 21, 2023