Fiery semi crash along I-435 in Kansas City kills two, police say
Kansas City police are investigating a fatal accident involving a semi truck that apparently rolled into a ditch and caught fire along a highway Wednesday afternoon.
The truck driver and a passenger were killed after the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle while taking a highway exit from westbound I-70 to southbound I-435, according to a crash report shared by Kansas City police Wednesday night. The semi went off the left side of the roadway before tipping into a ditch and the cab was completely engulfed in flames, police said.
The Missouri Department of Transportation shared images of heavy smoke billowing from a flaming tractor trailer that had crashed between I-70 westbound and I-435. Transportation officials and police were advising motorists to avoid the area on Wednesday afternoon.
Several emergency vehicles, including firetrucks, were called to the scene around 4 p.m. Police shut down the ramp where the crash occurred and portions of I-435 southbound to I-70 eastbound as they investigated the cause of the crash.
As of Wednesday night, investigators had left the scene but the ramp was still closed as crews cleaned the area. Police say the trailer was loaded with adhesives that were not burned in the fire.
