FULTON COUNTY, OH (WTOL) -
The westbound lanes of the Ohio Turnpike have reopened, eastbound remain closed Friday in Fulton County after multiple crashes and a commercial vehicle fire Thursday night.
Brian Newbacher, spokesman for the Ohio Turnpike, said they hope to have one eastbound lane open by midnight Friday.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol says traffic first halted around 8:15 p.m. due to a minor crash involving three semi trucks near mile marker 33.8. Another crash occurred not long after, near mile maker 32, when a semi crashed into three others, one of which was a tanker truck carrying 3,000 gallons of liquid Hydrogen. The driver of the tanker truck sustained only minor injuries. The driver of the semi, however, died on impact. The names of those involved have not yet been released.
The crash did cause the tanker to catch fire. At one point, officials said they were evacuating a one-mile radius around the crash site due to fears of a possible explosion, but no homes or vehicles were ever evacuated. Officials continue to ask people to stay away from the area.