Truck driver dies after fiery M1 crash sparks inferno
A driver has died after being caught in an inferno on the M1 near Port Macquarie on Monday.
A tanker carrying ethanol exploded when it clipped another rig on the M1 near Cooranbong, about 1km south of the Freemans Drive interchange.
It exploded into flames, incinerating four vehicles.
At first, one driver was unaccounted for. It wasn't until later on Monday night that police confirmed he died at the scene. There's been no information released on his identity.
Somehow, three other people managed to survive the crash.
A little after five hours after the explosion, the truck fire was finally put out, then crews began work to remove the remainder of dangerous fuel.
Firefighters were forced to spray litres of foam from every direction to try and extinguish the blaze while others fought the bushfire that broke out as a result of the crash, spreading for more than 15 hectares.
Eight rural fire service trucks and a helicopter were brought in to fight the blaze.
"The rear compartment of that ethanol tanker actually breached and caught alight, it then from that fire involved the middle compartment," Superintendent Greg Windeatt from NSW Fire and Rescue said.
At times, crews could only stand back and watch.
It's believed the tanker may have been trying to avoid an accident between two other trucks when it also lost control.
"One truck was stationary and a further truck heading southbound has clipped the rear of that truck and then the accident subsequently occurred," Chief Inspector Darren Cox from Lake Macquarie Police said.
The two other trucks were left as burnt out shells, as well as a car which was also hit and exploded on impact.
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The driver of the car, fuel tanker and the truck which had been stopped on the side of the road were all taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing.
"We assessed the ethanol tanker driver. He was uninjured, obviously a little shocked and another truck driver on the north bound side of the incident had a minor leg injury," Inspector Phil Clark from NSW Ambulance said.
The sheer number of emergency vehicles at the scene gave an indication of how concerned authorities were about the tanker.
Traffic was backed up for about 12km, with the motorway closed in both directions.
It's suspected the motorway could be closed for the rest of the night, but one northbound lane has reopened.
