Tuscaloosa County, AL : Tanker carrying 8,000 gallons of gas crashes, catches fire in Tuscaloosa County on Friday, October 17, 2014

An 18-wheeler carrying thousands of gallons of gas caught fire near a Tuscaloosa County subdivision after crashing into a pole. According to Lt. Andy Norris from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Department, the crash happened on Highway 171 North of Tom Montgomery Road, in front of the Montgomery Farms subdivision. Norris said the tanker truck was carrying 4,500 gallons of diesel and 3,500 gallons of regular gas. Several power lines in the area were knocked down, leaving some without power. Smoke from the fire can be seen from downtown Tuscaloosa. "It just kept blowing up. Every time it sounded like a bomb going off. And so my kids are scared to death, I'm scared to death because it's so close, you know. But I know everybody was okay. I've just never seen a fire this big in my life," said Nina Mays, who lives nearby. Nearby construction workers pulled the driver out of the truck. The driver is being treated for non-life threatening injuries. The gas was allowed to burn, to prevent it from polluting a nearby creek. It took nearly three hours to burn out completely. Source : Tanker carrying 8,000 gallons of gas crashes, catches fire in Tuscaloosa County