Dump truck goes over I-664 in Suffolk, erupts into flames

SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A dump truck went over the northbound lanes of Interstate 664 and fell onto Bridge Road below Friday, then caught on fire.

Suffolk Fire & Rescue confirmed the details of the crash, saying the the incident unfolded at 11:26 a.m.

The fire was put out at 12:02 p.m., but the crash also involved a major fuel spill. Both directions of Bridge Road at the 4400 block stayed closed to traffic until about 3:50 p.m., when the westbound lanes of the 4400 block of Bridge Road reopened. The The eastbound lanes of Bridge Road were expected to remain closed for another three hours. Motorists were urged to avoid the area and seek alternate routes, and detours were in place.

Suffolk Fire & Rescue said one person was injured, the sole occupant of the truck. He declined medical treatment. Remarkably, there were no other vehicles involved in the crash.

Fire Chief Mike Barakey spoke with WAVY’s Brett Hall live at the scene of the crash Friday afternoon. He said the investigation determined the dump truck blew a tire and hit the jersey wall, causing the truck to go over the interstate.

“Fire suppression started with foam,” Barakey said. “The fire was lapping up on to the girders of 664, so at that point, that became our exposure because we could not lose a major interstate highway around here. So we started cooling down the girders above and then attacking the fire below with multiple engines and multiple water sources. We got the fire under control in about 12 and a half minutes,”

He said the truck driver is doing well and there were no other injuries.

“We’re just thankful that not only did the operator of the vehicle single operator not sustain injuries, as well as what’s amazing is that no motorists headed southbound or northbound was impacted by the vehicle.”

Diesel fuel and hydraulic fuel spilled from the vehicle onto Bridge Road and surrounding area, he said.

DEQ, VDEM, and the Suffolk Hazmat team were all called to assist with the clean-up. VDOT is managing lane closures.

The fire department and State Police provided images from the crash scene.

Live video from the Virginia Department of Transportation cameras showed smoke rising up to I-664 from Bridge Road.

Sgt. Michelle Anaya with State Police confirmed a vehicle became fully engulfed in flames on Bridge Road and smoke rose above to the interstate, affecting traffic on I-664 in both northbound and southbound lanes. Troopers responded.

Anaya said it was a Western Star dump truck. It was not carrying a load when it crashed.

Several WAVY viewers were in traffic when the incident happened and took these videos, which show the truck on its side, on fire.

The crash is near mile marker 13.5 in Suffolk, near the Western Freeway. All north lanes of I-664 were initially closed.

Troopers remained on scene investigating hours after the crash.