The accident happened around 4:30am. A tanker truck, which was carrying some type of chemical, crashed and burst into flames. Officials say the driver died in the accident.
Crews took at least an hour to contain the fire. Emergency and HazMat were called to the scene. As they investigated, both the north and southbound lanes of Highway 59 were shut down. The southbound lanes were re-opened shortly after being closed. The northbound lanes were shut down for most of the morning.
Initially, emergency crews were concerned about damage to the freeway and shut down the entire freeway. They were also concerned about the winds possibly spreading the fire to a nearby wooded area.
The driver hasn't been identified.
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