Pinellas County, FL : Fuel tanker explodes in crash in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, January 6, 2015

The driver of an oil tanker truck is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after his rig crashed with a utility truck and spilled 10,000 gallons of fuel, causing a massive fire on Gandy Boulevard in St. Pete.

It happened at 4th Street North and Gandy Boulevard at about 12:36 a.m. on Tuesday.

A St. Pete Fire Rescue spokesperson says the fully loaded tanker was westbound on Gandy Boulevard and collided with a work truck from Preferred Materials Inc. The work truck was driving southbound on Roosevelt Boulevard.

The tanker driver Jason Burgos, 38, of Spring Hill, received second and third degree burns to 60 percent of his body including his face, torso, and legs. He was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital. His injuries are listed as extremely life-threatening.

The truck driver, Jerry N. Freeman, 61, of Venus, received facial fractures and lacerations and was transported to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg.

The fire caused damage to an overpass under construction.
The westbound lanes of Gandy Boulevard were shut down between Roosevelt Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street while officials investigated the crash. Late Tuesday afternoon, the Florida Department of Transportation reopened both of the lanes.

Environmental work will start later Tuesday evening around 7 p.m. During this time, the inside lane on Gandy will be closed. The inside lane closure could continue through Wednesday morning.

Source :
Trucker suffers life-threatening injuries in fiery St. Pete crash