HOUSTON – The westbound lanes of Highway 225 at Allen Genoa have reopened after a fatal truck accident involving a Hazmat spill.
The fiery crash on Highway 225 shut down both sides of the freeway for more than 13 hours on Monday.
An 18-wheeler ran off the freeway, made its way over the barriers and slammed into a gas line, sending the flammable chemical propylene into the air, according to Houston police.
The 47-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released.
The accident was reported just before 1:30 p.m., and by 6 p.m., Hazmat crews had dumped thousands of gallons of water onto the broken line that was releasing propylene.
"Propylene is basically an asphyxiant," White said. "It is flammable also. It would have been an issue had it been in a populated area, but being along 225 and near the plants, we don't seem to have an issue."
Emergency crews did not order evacuations for residents living near the crash site in Houston, La Porte or Pasadena.
Investigators believe that the driver might have suffered a medical episode before the accident, since he had no signs of trauma to his body from the collision.