NORTH PORT, Fla. — Update: The lanes of Interstate 75 in Sarasota County affected by an overturned fuel tanker have reopened, Florida Highway Patrol reports.
Drivers traveling on Interstate 75 in Sarasota County were impacted by an overturned fuel tanker, according to the Florida Highway Patrol Troopers.
It happened just after 5 a.m. on southbound I-75 at mile marker 172 in North Port, troopers say.
FHP says the tanker "experienced a catastrophic failure of a tire," causing it to leave the roadway onto the grassy shoulder.
The tanker kept going and hit the fence line separating the shoulder from the wood line. It then overturned.
All southbound lanes of I-75 were closed between exits 170-179 as emergency crews assess fuel leakage. At 4 p.m., FHP said emergency crews are still cleaning up the area. Traffic was still being diverted at the 179-mile marker.
Drivers were urged to take the Toledo Blade Road exit to the Kings Highway on-ramp to I-75.
The tanker was the only vehicle involved in the crash, troopers say. The driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.