Gregory Bryan Watkins of Fort Washington died late Thursday after the tractor trailer he was driving struck a barrier on Interstate 95 near Interstate 395 and burst into flames, shutting down the highway for more than seven hours, police said.
The northbound lanes of I-95 reopened at 6:40 a.m., said Sgt. Jonathan Green of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
Watkins, 34, was driving northbound on I-95 around 11 p.m. when he lost control and the truck struck a barrier on the right side of the road near the exit for I-395 north, Green said. The impact turned the truck on the driver's side and it slid across the roadway, Green said.
The truck was forced upright when it hit a second barrier on the left side of the highway and caught fire, officials said. A preliminary investigation showed that at least one of the truck's two "saddle tanks" ruptured and spilled diesel fuel on the highway.
The fire was extinguished by 11:45 p.m.
Building materials that the flatbed truck was carrying were strewn across the highway, Green said.
No other injuries were reported.
Watkins had no passengers. No other vehicles were involved.
ywenger@baltsun.com
twitter.com/yvonnewenger
Baltimore Sun reporter Kevin Rector contributed to this report.
The northbound lanes of I-95 reopened at 6:40 a.m., said Sgt. Jonathan Green of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
Watkins, 34, was driving northbound on I-95 around 11 p.m. when he lost control and the truck struck a barrier on the right side of the road near the exit for I-395 north, Green said. The impact turned the truck on the driver's side and it slid across the roadway, Green said.
The truck was forced upright when it hit a second barrier on the left side of the highway and caught fire, officials said. A preliminary investigation showed that at least one of the truck's two "saddle tanks" ruptured and spilled diesel fuel on the highway.
The fire was extinguished by 11:45 p.m.
Building materials that the flatbed truck was carrying were strewn across the highway, Green said.
No other injuries were reported.
Watkins had no passengers. No other vehicles were involved.
ywenger@baltsun.com
twitter.com/yvonnewenger
Baltimore Sun reporter Kevin Rector contributed to this report.
