A crash and fuel tanker rollover sparked a massive fire and closed Interstate 95 South in Groton at the Gold Star Bridge for hours Friday.
State police said there were multiple injuries reported in the incident.
Gov. Ned Lamont later said the truck driver died in the crash. He has been identified as 42-year-old Wallace Fauquet III, of Stonington.
The governor said a tire blew out on a passenger vehicle, which caused it to come into contact with the fuel tanker. The tanker rolled over and burst into flames, spilling about 2,200 gallons of fuel, he said.
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The burning fuel spilled down through the bridge and into the Thames River below, according to Lamont.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the truck was carrying home heating oil. The agency set up containment booms in the river to keep the fuel from spreading.
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State police said a Toyota Avalon had a tire failure, which caused the tire to deflate. The car traveled from the right lane, across the left acceleration lane and into the right acceleration lane for the Bridge Street entrance ramp, troopers said.
After coming to a stop in the right acceleration lane, a truck was driving in the same lane and ended up colliding with the stopped car. That's when the truck rolled over and caught fire, and the immediate area also went ablaze.
The highway is the major thoroughfare between Boston and New York and thousands of vehicles travel over the bridge each day, Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick said.
The northbound side of the highway was closed but reopened midday.
The left two lanes of I-95 South reopened on the bridge just after 6 p.m.
Inspectors from the state Department of Transportation checked on the damage to the bridge to determine the structural integrity.
State police are investigating and ask anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam video to call Troop E at 860-848-6500.
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