By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
A train hit a tanker truck full of jet fuel at the Laughlin Air Force Base’s North gate, located off US Highway 90, sending flames nearly 50 feet into the sky at about 7 a.m. Monday morning.
The only injury was to the driver of the fuel truck, who was taken to Val Verde Regional Medical Center with back and leg pains.
“Our driver got out after the crash,” said Mike Nowicki, a manager for Houston’s Outlaw Transportation that owned the truck involved in the crash. “He was able to get out under his own energy and he’s going to be okay. The crash just clipped the end of the trailer.”
City of Del Rio deployed five fire trucks and thirteen firefighters to support Laughlin’s six firefighting vehicles on the scene.
Laughlin members were backed up nearly half of a mile on US Highway 90 waiting to enter the base. This was one of the busiest times of the day for this gate as hundreds of shift workers enter the base. Laughlin motor traffic was diverted to the base’s West Gate, located off Loop 277.
The North Gate, where the crash occurred, will be closed until further notice. The West Gate will continue to be the main entry for inbound and commercial traffic leaving the base. Laughlin members are being asked to exit the base through the air show gate, located at the Northeast corner of the base.
Laughlin offered the following contacts for individuals who witnessed the accident:
A video of the crash’s aftermath can be seen here: https://fb.watch/9ilfZ6ShaZ/ .
