Fuel tanker overturns on I-595 in Broward, shutting down highway for hours

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue crews and Florida Highway Patrol troopers responded to the scene of a fuel tanker that overturned Monday morning in the westbound lanes of Interstate 595.

The crash occurred around 9 a.m. at Exit 10, which leads to the northbound lanes of Interstate 95.

According to FHP Lt. Indiana Miranda, a vehicle and a loaded fuel tanker were heading west on I-595, east of I-95, when they were involved in a sideswipe collision.

Miranda said the tanker then veered into the grass median and overturned onto its right side.

According to Miranda, crews are offloading about 9,000 gallons of gas into a second trailer, which is expected to take a couple of hours.

“Once the fuel is pumped from one tanker to the other, the rolled-over tanker can be righted by industrial tow trucks which are also standing by at the scene,” Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Michael B. Kane said in an email.

No injuries were reported, however a small fuel leak -- about 20 gallons -- was secured by BSFR’s Hazmat Team.

Traffic closures are as follows:

• Eastbound/Westbound I-595 closed. The entry to the airport and to Port Everglades is affected.
• Eastbound traffic is being diverted to Florida’s Turnpike and I-95.
• Westbound traffic is being diverted to I-95 SB.
• Westbound traffic is closed at US1/Port Everglades.

The closure continued into the evening as authorities offloaded fuel from the overturned tanker.

FHP officials did not have a timetable for when the freeway would reopen.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.