One person was killed in a fiery crash on state Highway 161 underneath Interstate 30 in Grand Prairie Saturday.
Grand Prairie police told NBC 5 that a big-rig lost control, crashed into a wall, then went over a barrier, landed on SH 161 and then exploded.
The crash shut down the westbound lanes of I-30 and both directions of SH 161 for several hours Saturday. Everything re-opened early Sunday morning.
The driver of the semi, who was later identified as 59-year-old James Anthony Long of Clarksville, Tenn., was pronounced dead at the scene.
“There are a lot of variables that could have mixed into this that could have made it more of a tragedy than it is," said Det. Lyle Gensler, with the Grand Prairie Police Department. "We're very thankful that when the truck veered off of I-30 it didn't hit any other cars, carrying with it to 161. So it is very unfortunate that the driver died at the scene, but it's very fortunate that others lived through this horrific incident.”
Late Saturday night, police told NBC DFW that the truck is owned by B&M Trucking of Gallatin, Tenn.
The truck was transporting a load of ceramic tile to San Diego, Calif., at the time of the crash and, according to police, was filled to capacity.
