A flatbed truck is hanging partially off a bridge along U.S. Highway 175 near Seagoville after crashing and catching fire Friday morning.
Sgt. Lonny Haschel, with the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the truck blew a tire as it crossed a bridge on U.S. Highway 175 southeast of Farm-to-Market Road 1389. The blowout caused the driver to lose control, Haschel told NBC 5, and the truck's trailer went through the guardrail and onto the bridge wall where it came to rest hanging over the edge.
The driver, who was not seriously injured in the crash, was able to escape before fire consumed the cab. The driver was transported to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas for treatment.
No other vehicles were involved and no other injuries were reported.
Evidence of the intensity of the fire can be seen on the charred roadway and in the remains of the burned out cab. Part of the truck's load of lumber spilled into the creek below, where burned grass and smoldering wood were doused by firefighters.
Both lanes of eastbound U.S. 175 are open to traffic. Drivers in the westbound lanes are being allowed exit the highway onto the grass; the backup stretches nearly a mile.
The westbound lanes of the highway are expected to be closed for several hours. Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation are en route to assess the roadway and bridge for damage.
