MERRITT ISLAND, Fla.,None — A crash that sparked a huge tanker fire Friday afternoon in Brevard County killed two people and shut down the Beachline (SR-528) on Merritt Island. Brevard County Fire Rescue responded to the scene at SR-528 and N. Courtenay Parkway (see map) where the tanker truck caught fire after a pickup truck crashed into it.
The pickup truck, FHP said, drove off the bridge after crashing into the tanker and also went up in flames.
Two fatalities were confirmed by the Florida Highway patrol. Authorities were trying to use dental records to positively identify them.
While some people ran from the crash, Mark Smith ran towards the flames. He said he managed to get just 500 feet from the driver of the truck.
"I tried to run into it. Up to the point where my clothes were going to catch on fire," Smith said.
The explosion happened on SR-528, which had to be shut down in both directions, a half-mile each way at US-1 and the Banana River. Officials said Courtenay Parkway was closed, too, a half-mile in both directions because the explosion happened on an overpass above that road.
It is not known what kind of cargo the tanker was carrying.
Crews allowed the tanker to burn and then sprayed foam on the wreckage. Crews said the fire was knocked down and extinguished by crash trucks from Kennedy Space Center. They then began the process of mopping up the area.
Officials from the Department of Transportation were on scene assessing the damage Friday night.
"You're gonna have to get off and on and find an alternate route. It just depends on how bad the road is damaged and if the bridge is structurally unsound," said Sgt. Kim Montes of the Florida Highway Patrol.
There were no evacuations, but citizens and drivers were urged to stay out of the area.
Damage to the roadway and the overpass is extensive. The massive fireball charred parts of each causing significant structural damage. Repairs to the Beachline Expressway will take 25 days and cost $2.19 million, Florida Department of Transportation officials said Sunday. The portion of the Beachline where the explosion happened will remain closed for 25 days, according to FDOT officials.