One year after a deadly crash destroyed a bridge along I-95 in Philadelphia, federal investigators have made public a report that sheds light on the cause of the tragic incident. The report reveals that gasoline spilled out from an unsecured hatch on top of the gasoline delivery tanker that overturned, leading to the catastrophic chain of events.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, video evidence showed that the cover of a manhole had been left open when the driver, Nathaniel Moody, arrived at a station to refill the tank. The hatch was not properly secured when he drove away to deliver the gasoline to a convenience store 42 miles away. The report concluded that the fire most likely originated when gasoline escaped from the open manhole as the trailer overturned, causing nearly 2,500 gallons of mixed gasoline and ethanol to spill out and ignite.
Moody’s cousin, Isaac Moody, who is also a truck driver, expressed frustration at the tendency to blame truckers in accidents, stating, “As soon as a trucker cannot defend themselves, they find all kinds of stuff.”
The crash, which occurred on June 11, 2023, resulted in the closure of a section of I-95 in Philadelphia. A permanent bridge has since been opened to traffic, and the highway has returned to normal operations. Nathaniel Moody, the driver of the fuel tanker, tragically lost his life in the accident. His cause of death was determined to be blunt trauma of the head and inhalation and thermal injuries.
The release of the report by federal investigators has provided some closure and answers to the devastating crash that shook the Philadelphia community.
