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Fiery truck crash under investigation

By ALICE POPOVICI/The Daily News

Tuesday, July 8, 2008 11:35 PM CDT

HOT SPOT: A firefighter stands back as flames devour a fuel tanker on Highway 68 Saturday afternoon. Officials reported the tanker ignited after it was rear-ended by a car-carrier, closing the highway for hours. Contributed/Bullhead City Fire Department

BULLHEAD CITY - Arizona Department of Public Safety officials have released additional information on the truck collision that closed Highway 68 for several hours Saturday.

Around 2:26 p.m., a car carrier westbound near Milepost 14 reportedly drove into the back of a fuel tanker carrying about 9,000 gallons of fuel.

The impact ruptured the tanker, igniting both trucks, officials said. The car carrier was pushed across the eastbound lanes, and traffic in both directions was blocked for approximately seven hours.

The driver of the car carrier, 41-year-old David Adams, of Gilbert, Ariz., was flown to a Las Vegas hospital for treatment of third degree burns, according to Capt. Tony DeMaio, of the Golden Valley Fire Department.

The driver of the fuel tanker, 43-year-old Salvador Pizano, of Phoenix, was reportedly treated for minor injuries and released.

DeMaio said fire units from Golden Valley, Bullhead City and Kingman let the fire burn out from a safe distance until about 7:30 p.m., when they extinguished the remainder of the flames.

DPS officials said the accident is under investigation and enforcement action is pending.