Massachusetts Police Release Video of Gas Tanker Crash
By WBZ-AM
May 1, 2018
Very lucky no one was injured during this crash that occurred on Saturday, April 21st, just prior to noon on MacArthur Blvd - Southbound. The 63 year old male driver of the tractor trailer unit was towing nearly 12,000 gallons of unleaded fuel when he said a bird flew inside the vehicle and struck his head causing him to swerve. After viewing this very high quality dash cam taken by another motorists, officers were unable to confirm the operator’s account of the accident, observing the vehicle did not swerve and instead slowly travelled across multiple lanes without braking. The operator was cited for Failure to Stay Within Marked Lanes and Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle. Massachusetts State Police assisted with the investigation, Bourne FD extinguished the fire, and MassDOT assisted with debris and fuel cleanup. Various utility companies responded to repair the damaged poles and hydrant.
Posted by Bourne Police Department on Tuesday, May 1, 2018
BOURNE, MA (WBZ-AM) -- A dashcam video released by police in Bourne, MA shows a VoltaOil tanker truck filled with12,000 gallons of unleaded gas drive off the road and hit a utility pole.
The crash which happened on MacArthur Boulevard on April 21 shortly before noon, set sent sparks into the air and damaged a utility pole and hydrant.
In their facebook post, Boune Police say that the truck driver, a 63-year-old man, said that a bird flew inside the cab hitting him in the head, causing him to swerve.
However, a high quality dash-cam video submitted to Police by an eyewitness it showed quite the opposite.
"After viewing this very high quality dash cam taken by another motorists, officers were unable to confirm the operator’s account of the accident, observing the vehicle did not swerve and instead slowly traveled across multiple lanes without braking," police said.
The driver was charged with failure to stay within marked lanes and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
Massachusetts State Police assisted with the investigation, Bourne Fire Department extinguished the fire, and MassDOT assisted with debris and fuel cleanup. Various utility companies responded to repair the damaged poles and hydrant.