EXPLODES ON 40 Passerby Joe Allman captured this image of tractortrailer that caught fire and exploded moments after being struck by driver that State Police say ran stop sign at intersection of Military Road & Rt. 40.
A stretch of Darvills Road (Rt. 40) remained closed at presstime after a two-vehicle, fiery crash Monday morning, Aug. 11th at the intersection of Darvills & Miltary Roads near the Main Gate to Fort Pickett.
Monday’s crash occurred at approximately 8:00 a.m. and, remarkably, there were no serious injuries. According to State Police, Gary Wade Haizlip, 63, of Blackstone was driving east on Rt. 40 (toward Darvills) in a tractor-trailer.
Police said 42-year-old Alexander Pfeffer of Fredericksburg was driving south on Military Road (toward Pickett) in a 2012 Toyota RAV4 when it “failed to stop at the posted stop sign” and struck the driver’s side fuel tank of the tractor-trailer. Impact caused the tractor-trailer to catch fire and, moments later, “explode,” according to one witness.
Pfeffer received what State Police described as “minor injuries” in the crash. Haizlip escaped injury.
Nottoway Emergency Services Coordinator Buddy Hyde, who spent several hours at the scene which required extensive clean-up, said the truck was hauling several tanks of diesel fuel. Hyde said those tanks “did breach but luckily had flame impingement. Blackstone Volunteer Fire Department did a great job knocking flames down and keeping those tanks on the trailer from breaching.”
CLEAN-UP EFFORTS CONTINUED FOR HOURS Nottoway Emergency Services Coordinator Buddy Hyde provided this photo taken after crash.
Hyde estimated that approximately 100 gallons of diesel fuel were released in the collision. Hyde worked closely Monday with VDOT and officials from DEQ. “All diesel fuel was contained and didn’t reach the closest waterway, thanks to containment efforts by Blackstone, Fort Pickett, and Crewe fire departments using materials from the County’s haz-mat truck.”
Hyde also offered praise to incident commander, Blackstone firefighter Tony Bradford, and the first Blackstone units for “a fantastic job knocking the fire down quickly with limited staffing on a Monday morning.”
Hyde on Monday night said that milling operations were underway on the asphalt with hopes that the roadway could re-open Tuesday.
The intersection of Rt. 40 & Military Road, which has seen a number of collisions over the years, is scheduled to receive a VDOT roundabout, estimated to cost approximately $7.2 million. Construction is scheduled to begin next year.
Nearly all crashes there have involved drivers not stopping for stop signs on Military Road. Some residents have vocally questioned the wisdom of a roundabout, saying traffic signals with rumble strips might be more cost-effective.
Several truckers have complained in recent months of close calls caused by motorists “punching” the accelerator from Military Road.
Those truckers have told the Courier-Record that although the speed limit at the intersection is 45 mph, they drive 35 mph or slower, anticipating the likelihood that motorists are going to pull-out in front of them.
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