Tanker Truck Explosion

Tanker Truck Explosion

Brooklynn Barbee, Journalist

An explosion was caught on ring doorbell footage this past Saturday along Maryland Route 15. The video shows the tanker truck, then a huge fireball, then a thick plume of smoke billowing up. The explosion killed the driver, severely damaged nearby homes and vehicles, and started a large fire, burning all the surrounding greenery. What was left of the tanker truck and the tree it crashed into have been removed from the scene. As many as five vehicles and six homes were damaged by the blast and ensuing fire. The ground was left charred, and a home was hit by the explosion leaving shattered glass, and missing walls. One family was displaced, but no one was hurt. More than 100 firefighters were called to the scene. Maryland State Police said they are waiting to confirm the identity of the driver and what caused the crash.

The ring doorbell video shows the moment a tanker truck crashed off Maryland Route-15. “It was scary, and then you could start seeing plumes of fire and smoke coming up all at once,” a neighbor named Jeff said. The Maryland Department of the Environment told 11-News that it recovered the product by mixing it with firefighting foam and water from the remains of the tanker. Officials said the leaked product was contained. MDE oversaw work to flush the storm drain system as well. People who live there said there needs to be more than trees for protection from Route-15. Brad Hammond lives next door to the home that’s destroyed. He said accidents happen here often. The MDE expects to clean up soil at the explosion site as they continue to monitor the situation. “Even though (route) 15 is really loud, it’s always been a quiet neighborhood. We would never expect anything like this,” a local resident said.