As I was driving the second tanker in that accident, let me tell you how this went.
The driver of the car entering I-30 eastbound came across two lanes of traffic and clipped my front, right steering tire. When she did it knocked me to the left a little as the fuel tanker passed me on the left. After the fuel tanker hit my left mirror, he lost control of his rig, turning it over in front of me. That is when it burst into flames. When I finally came to a stop, I was behind the fuel tanker that was on fire and about 15 feet from the flames. So I started my truck up and made a right hand U turn getting my truck on the west bound shoulder facing against the traffic, but away from the fire.
The fuel tanker was a total loss, and it burned a pretty good portion of the pavement under the truck. The two girls in the car were freaked out but were not seriously hurt at all. The fuel tanker driver was missing for a good while but he did climb out of the truck and showed up after my boss had arrived at the scene of the accident. When the fuel tanker driver stated shivering in the cold, I offered him my jacket to wear until someone picked him up. He tried to sue me personally, even though he was hauling a hazmat load and should have never been there in the first place.
Everyone got tickets except me. Everyone went to the hospital but me.....Two hours later I was heading to Oklaunion Texas for a load of fly ash. That accident was the first in a 36 year trucking career and was caused by a four wheeler that was too impatient to wait until they were past me before cutting in front of me. Thanks girls.
Girls....go easier on the drinks the next time you go out clubbing. And for the Fuel Tanker driver and his company...too bad I know the Hazmat rules better than you because once I explained to the examiner that the fuel truck was supposed to be on loop 12 going around Dallas an not on I-30 east bound going THROUGH Dallas? I never heard another word from their lawyers.
But it was one hell of a show! But I prefer a more subdued life.