Thursday’s Interstate crash suggests motorists prepare
Bennett saw construction workers giving water to an elderly couple and wondered how many cars' air conditioners stopped working and what the chances were for emergencies in the 90-degree heat.
"There's going to be heart attacks" or other heat-related emergencies, Bennett predicted.
"There should be a plan for incidents like that," he added.
Bennett noted authorities put plans in place after a snowstorm stranded hundreds on the Interstate for up to 12 hours in 2008. He suggested they should have the same now, as the construction zones spawn so many crashes.
The state--which has responsibility for patrolling the Interstate--does offer some emergency service.
The state and insurance company
Theisen said these trucks offer "free, limited roadside assistance to drivers in need."
The Interstate expansion project provides the trucks, which patrol in
The project has three patrol trucks, each covering one segment:
Theisen did not immediately know if the patrol helped out in Thursday's crash.
Battalion Chief
Emergency responders are busy with those directly affected by the accidents, Murphy said, and checking hundreds of motorists would strain resources.
"To have our guys walk great distances to check in with people, it's almost impractical, and then we need to be concerned about our people (getting injured by careless drivers)," Murphy said.
Murphy suggested that an Interstate closure lasting five or six hours might trigger an effort to check on motorists, as happened in the 2008 snowstorm.
"My suggestion to anybody is, if you're traveling long distance through a construction area, consider having some water with you and giving your air conditioner a break now and again. I know it's difficult," Murphy said.
"If you believe you're in danger of having a medical event or heat-related event, just call 911, and we would make arrangements to try to get to them and give them any type of medical care they would need," he added.
No one was injured in Thursday's crash, but one of two truck drivers involved was transported with a non-crash related medical condition, the State Patrol said in a news release.
The accident started when semitrailer truck driver
Other northbound traffic was slowing to allow entry or passing in the left lane, but another semitrailer truck driven by Emad H-A Hanna, 54, of
The first truck was able to drag its damaged trailer to a ramp, but Hanna's truck was disabled, with damage to hits front end and steering axle, causing it to turn sharply to the right and hit a concrete barrier, according to the release.
The truck was blocking both northbound lanes, and it caught fire. The fire spread and fully engulfed the trailer, and diesel fuel spilled onto the roadway.
"An extensive recovery was required to remove the semi unit and restore the roadway to safe driving conditions," the release states.
The northbound lanes were opened at
No charges were issued immediately, but an investigation continues, the State Patrol said.
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