Fuel tanker crashes near homes in Oakland Park, flips over - CBS Miami

By Allen Cone

Updated on: October 15, 2024 / 2:51 PM EDT / CBS Miami

OAKLAND PARK - A tanker carrying 1,100 gallons of diesel fuel flipped over, landing between two homes Tuesday morning in Oakland Park.

The driver was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale with minor injuries.

About 5:30 a.m., neighbors were jolted out of bed when a truck containing diesel fuel traveling northbound overturned at 5325 N. Andrews Ave. and Northwest 53rd Court.

People in the area said they were lucky it wasn't much worse.

"I heard an explosion and woke up," Raffaella Solano told CBS News Miami.

The tanker overturned in his neighbor's driveway.

Oakland Park firefighters had to carefully get the fuel out of each of the compartments.

A fire rescue spokesman described the process.

"Each one of them is compartmentalized," the spokesman said. "So they have to drill a hole. Very controlled, creating no sparks. So they are flowing water as they are drilling, using air drills."

"Once they breach that aluminum, which is about an inch thick into the compartment, they have to put a hose in there," he said.

He said they were able to get all of the fuel out.

Then, tow trucks tipped over the truck.

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