A crash between two 18-wheelers led to the closure of Interstate 10 on Wednesday, causing significant traffic delays near the Mississippi-Alabama state line. The accident, which occurred around 10:30 a.m. on I-10 eastbound in Alabama, just past the Mississippi border, resulted in the spill of approximately 200 gallons of fuel and required extensive cleanup efforts.
James Gordon, a public information officer for the Alabama Department of Transportation, confirmed that one of the truck drivers was airlifted to a nearby hospital following the collision. “The crash caused a major fuel spill, and it took hours to clean up,” Gordon said, adding that authorities had to call in a hazardous materials team to safely manage the spill.
By noon, the Mississippi Highway Patrol had begun diverting traffic off the interstate onto Highway 90 through Grand Bay, Alabama. The accident forced the closure of I-10 from Exit 75 in Mississippi to Exit 4 in Alabama. At 11:50 a.m., the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) estimated delays would persist for at least two more hours.
As of 2:30 p.m., traffic was backed up from the state line nearly to the Highway 63 exit in Moss Point, according to MDOT’s traffic map. By 3:40 p.m., authorities announced that the crash had been cleared, although congestion lingered until shortly before 4 p.m.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation, and it is unclear whether the trucks were transporting fuel or if it leaked from their internal tanks. Gordon noted that the involvement of hazardous materials further delayed the reopening of the highway.
References: The Sun Herald in Yahoo! News
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