Tanker-truck driver killed in Atwater crash that sprayed out ‘an ocean of fire’

A tanker truck loaded with thousands of gallons of fuel raced off Highway 99 in Atwater on Tuesday morning, overturned and burst into flames, spraying waves of fire at least 25 feet wide.

The driver of the 2008 Peterbilt truck never made it out. His body was found inside the burned out truck cab. His name was not released Tuesday.

Jeanine Jaroszek was buying coffee around 10:00 a.m. with her twin teenage daughters at Starbucks on Bell Lane, just off Highway 99. She said she looked out the store window and saw “an ocean of fire that crashed in waves down the road.”

“I looked up and there was this fire like a wall and then we heard the explosion — the first explosion,” she said. “I’ve never seen fire move like that.”

What followed, she said, was chaos as people scrambled out of businesses and fast food restaurants.

“There was shouting and people yelling to get out of the building,” Jaroszek said.

As they scrambled to get away, Jaroszek said, she and her two daughters became separated. They stayed in touch by cellphone. A Starbucks employee, who was putting her own children in a car, also took Jaroszek’s girls away from the fiery, smoke-filled scene. They met up with their mother down the road.

“It was very scary,” Jaroszek said. “It looked like a terrorist attack or something.”

She said she heard “at least” two explosions. Video captured by Charlene Goodman, who was at the nearby Wal-Mart, appeared to record at least five explosions.

Mark Lawson, division chief with Calfire-Merced County, said the tanker truck was carrying about 9,000 gallons of gasoline on a delivery to the Arco gas station on Bell Lane. He said authorities fear the leaking truck may have dumped about 1,000 gallons of fuel into the gutter and that fuel may make its way into a drinking-water supply.

The cause of the crash the explosion remains under investigation, according to Officer Eric Zuniga of the California Highway Patrol.

Witnesses told investigators the truck, which was coming from Stockton, may already have been on fire around 10:02 a.m. when it left the freeway onto the Bell Lane exit. It reportedly overturned while exiting, Zuniga said, causing the trailer to “whip” behind the truck and into the onramp side of Bell Lane.

“We don’t know how fast he was going, but it was probably a little too fast for that turn,” he said.

The force of the explosion was felt by numerous people in fast-food restaurants in the area. Multiple cars and trucks sustained heat damage, and many were described by authorities as “scorched” as a result of the blast.

A large plume of thick black smoke could be seen for several miles and was reported as far away as at least Delhi to the north and Merced to the south.

Highway 99 was open again as of 12:15 p.m., but the exit off Bell Lane remains closed. Authorities said the clean up is likely to take at least two days.

Between 200 and 300 people had to leave the area as 25 to 30 feet of flames crawled along Bell Lane. The heat also melted a sign roughly 100 feet above the crash. Trees along Bell Lane were burned black, and McDonald’s northern wall was charred.

The longer term effects of the crash could be wide-ranging, officials said. There were reports of gas leaks and city leaders fear it could be several days before businesses in the area are allowed to reopen.

Students rehearsing their graduation ceremony Tuesday morning at Atwater Community High School were sent home. Their graduation ceremony has been postponed for the time being, according to Nathan Quevedo, spokesman for the Merced County Office of Education.

“The explosion was so close the students could feel it,” Quevedo said. “The air quality was just so bad out there.”

Fernando Soria, 17, said smoke blacked out the sky. “It sounded like bombs, like from (a video game), boom, boom, boom,” he said.

Less than half a mile away from the explosions, Landmark Christian School's classes halted and students came outside.

“It was close enough that the windows were all vibrating,” Principal Marvin Waddel said. “Initially, we did see the explosion. It was a distraction and disrupted class for a little bit.”

Waddel said classes resumed Tuesday and students were kept inside to avoid any smoke inhalation.

Atwater Mayor Jim Price, who surveyed the scene in person, said the Panda Express restaurant will likely be closed for at least two days. City officials will work to open up the other businesses in the area, he said.

“I’m sure there is going to be a cost,” he said. “Our main concern is with the deceased.”

Authorities said they need to examine the power grid in that area, the road structure and also confirm whether the fuel leaked into any water supply.

Multiple first responders expressed relief that there weren’t more injuries in the blast.

Atwater Councilman Paul Creighton also arrived to the scene. He said he wanted to check on the Atwater police who responded to the area.

“It was a 25-foot wall of fire,” he said. “Nobody (else) is hurt. It’s pretty amazing.”

This story was originally published May 23, 2017 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Tanker-truck driver killed in Atwater crash that sprayed out ‘an ocean of fire’."