Traffic on Interstate 40 came to a standstill after a downtown Oklahoma City truck accident, when a tractor-trailer carrying military explosives overturned in a crash.
According to Oklahoma Highway Patrol Captain Chris West, the trailer was traveling westbound down I-40 at the junction with I-35 when it was struck by a van.
West noted that distracted driving was a likely factor in the accident, saying the van’s driver “was not paying attention, perhaps fiddling with something inside the van.
After the rig overturned, it was revealed that its cargo included 28,000 pounds of munitions from the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. Deputy Fire Chief Cecil Clay explained his decision to shut the highway down after the crash, as he needed military authorization to open and inspect the cargo.
“If the load is shifted, it could cause an explosion,” Clay warned.
Several officials from Fort Sill in Lawton arrived to inspect the cargo and deemed that there was no danger to the rescue crews or passing traffic.
Emergency Medical Services Authority spokeswoman Lara O’Leary reported that although the truck turned over, injuries were minor. One driver received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries in a Midwest City hospital.
The owners of the semi, Minnesota-based Chalich Trucking, Inc, declined to comment on the accident, refusing even to confirm that their truck was involved.
Spokeswoman Charity Prather of the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant asserted that the accident is still under investigation.