Ethanol tanker erupts in ball of flames following collision
At 8:25 AM Thursday morning a auto crash led to a fiery scene on Highway 33 at the intersection of Noble Road just east of Horicon in the Township of Hubbard, Dodge County.
Highway 33 was closed from the Horicon city line east to Highway 67.
Highway 33 was closed for about 9.5 hours while the crash was investigated and crews repaired the road.
In a press release, the department says 20-year-old Robert Babiak of Horicon was driving his Chevrolet Malibu westbound before crossing the center line and hitting a semi carrying ethanol driven by 56-year-old Carl Wintheiser of Oconomowoc.
The department says the crash remains under investigation by the Dodge county Crash Investigation Team.
The driver of the semi, which rolled over and ignited, escaped through a door at the top of the overturned tanker as flames burned around him, said witness Nate Hamilton. The tanker spun and overturned, causing a large fire.
The driver of the auto was flown by helicopter to a hospital with injuries that are life-threatening, however his condition was not available Thursday evening. The driver of the Chevy Malibu was extricated from the vehicle. “He just walked toward me and he was kind of shocked”, said Nate Hamilton, 33, of Milwaukee, who added the driver had a head wound and burns to his arm.
“We would allow the ethanol to burn off the truck and that way, it didn’t create another problem with fuel that we would have to deal with”, Horicon Fire Chief Jim Bandsma said.
Deputies closed a 2- to 3-mile section of the highway in both directions because of the fire, which was out by noon. There was a series of small explosions as the fire burned and driver made his escape, he said.
As of about 6:30 p.m., Dodge County Sheriff’s officials said Highway 33 was open.
Highway 33 is closed between Highway 28 and County Road TW.
Flight for Life has been called to the scene and fire units.