A truck driver’s attempt to be humane, or save the truck, resulted in injury and one messy morning commute on Tuesday.
Two crashes closed the eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 691.
A truck driver swerved to avoid a deer and the truck burst into flames after hitting a bridge abutment at about midnight on Interstate 691 in Southington near exit 4, state police said.
The westbound lanes of the highway were closed for several hours. The truck was destroyed, and the driver was brought to a hospital with upper body and arm injuries.
The second crash happened at about 3 a.m. in the eastbound lanes between exits 4 and 5 in Meriden, when a tandem truck swerved and hit a guardrail.
The driver suffered head and neck injuries. Neither driver has been ticketed.
