A year after a fatal crash destroyed a bridge along Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, federal investigators released a report that gasoline spilled from an unsecured hatch on top of an overturned gasoline tanker.
Video evidence reviewed by investigators showed that the 16-inch manhole cover was open when the driver, Nathaniel Moody, 53, arrived at the Wilmington, Delaware, station to refuel, and as he drove away, The manhole cover was not properly secured.
An “Origin and Cause” report released in September by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and released late Wednesday said its investigators’ “consolidated opinion” was that “the fire was most likely due to When the trailer overturned, nearly 2,500 gallons of a mixture of gasoline and ethanol began to escape from a portion of the tank and ignite from an open manhole.
“In almost every accident that happens, they very easily blame the truck driver,” Moody’s cousin, Isaac Moody, also a truck driver, told The Associated Press. “Once the truck driver is unable to Protect yourself and they’ll find all kinds of stuff.”
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Crews work at the site of a collapsed section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia on June 14, 2023. The events unfolded until a gasoline delivery truck collided, ultimately destroying the bridge. (AP Photo/Matlock, File)
The accident occurred on June 11, 2023. Accident caused gasoline leakage in car on fire.
A portion of Interstate 95 collapsed and is now closed due to fire and smoke near Cottman Avenue and State Road in Northeast Philadelphia.
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Nathaniel Moody, 53, was identified as the driver of the tanker truck that caught fire and collapsed on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia. (Courtesy of the Moody Family)
In this handout photo provided by the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, smoke billows from a collapsed section of I-95 in Philadelphia on June 11, 2023. (Philadelphia, Getty Images)
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A permanent bridge was completed and opened to traffic in November, and the highway resumed normal operations last month.
Moody lives in Willow Grove, Pa., and has been an owner-operator with a commercial driver’s license since 2003. The manner of his death was an accident, Fox 29 Philadelphia reported. His cousin, Isaac Moody, knew him as a safety-conscious driver who followed regulations and training requirements.
Fox News’ Stephen Solas, Luis Casciano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
