Route 8 South reopens following fatal tanker crash and fire in Stow
One person is dead in a tanker crash and fire early Friday morning that closed the Route 8 expressway southbound in Stow, police said.
Route 8 South has since reopened, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. Stow police had urged motorists to find alternate routes after closing the highway for hours between Steel Corners Road and Graham Road. The Ohio Department of Transportation determined the road is safe to drive on, Stow police said. All northbound lanes remained open.
A tanker carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline crashed on the highway and burst into flames about 1:36 a.m. First responders found the tanker upside down and fully involved in fire.
The male tanker driver was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office. The man's identification was being withheld pending notification of next of kin. An autopsy is planned Friday.
All lanes of Route 8 are closed between Steels Corners and Graham Road and will be for quite a while. This was called out as a tanker on fire. Working to learn more but the fire appears to be out. I'll assume there is major damage to the road surface. pic.twitter.com/ro0ocYkJ1z
— Mike Vielhaber (@MVielhaber) October 28, 2022
Stow police remain investigating what caused the crash along with people from the Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and the State Fire Marshal's office.
Stow firefighters put out the tanker fire with the help of the Cuyahoga Falls, Kent, Hudson and Valley fire departments, Stow police said. The State Highway Patrol Motor Carrier Unit and the Summit Metro Crash Response Team also assisted at the crash site.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Route 8 south reopens in Stow after fatal tanker crash and fire
