Dash Cam of the Week: Fire meets O2

Sept. 16, 2016

A terrible accident happened on I-285 out of Atlanta Wednesday. A video clip made by a driver stopped on the opposite side of the freeway caught our eye with the multiple explosions from a burning tractor-trailer, lighting up the nighttime sky.

Kevin Jones

Since the video description offered now details, the staff here at Dash Cam of the Week googled around to get the story, finding both another video and then some details from Atlanta’s WSB-TV.

According to the Channel 2, firefighters reported that the truck’s brakes caught fire. The driver was hurt when he got out to check the brakes and a tire exploded. The fire spread to the trailer, which carried oxygen tanks. Area residents said that multiple explosions rocked their homes, and canisters were spotted flying across the Interstate.

@Chopper_CBS46 285 westbound at Chamblee Dunwoody a tractor trailer in flames. Backed up for miles. pic.twitter.com/EuHfwfQ0DH
— Lee Miller (@LeeMillerElite) September 15, 2016

The driver, whose name had not been released in the latest Channel 2 update, was taken the hospital and was in critical condition. This kind of story is no fun to pass along, but it’s just another reminder (here at the end of CVSA’s Brake Safety Week) to be safe out there, drivers—and to take brake maintenance very seriously.

About the Author

Kevin Jones | Editor

Kevin has served as editor-in-chief of Trailer/Body Builders magazine since 2017—just the third editor in the magazine’s 60 years. He is also editorial director for Endeavor Business Media’s Commercial Vehicle group, which includes FleetOwner, Bulk Transporter, Refrigerated Transporter, American Trucker, and Fleet Maintenance magazines and websites.

Working from Little Rock, Kevin has covered trucking and manufacturing for 15 years. His writing and commentary about the trucking industry and, previously, business and government, has been recognized with numerous state, regional, and national journalism awards.