A driver learned that his Waste Management truck was a little too tall to pass beneath the Union Pacific railroad bridge crossing West Broadway on Tuesday afternoon, according to a North Little Rock fire marshal's spokesman.
The resulting explosion injured one man and briefly shut down the railroad bridge Tuesday, said fire marshal Lt. Dustin Free.
Two compressed natural gas tanks on the recycling truck's roof struck the bridge, causing one of the tanks to rupture and explode at approximately 3:25 p.m., Free said. A driver in an SUV behind the recycling truck told Free he saw a "ball of fire coming at him" seconds before the explosion left minor burns on the man's hands and forearms, Free said.
The North Little Rock Fire Department briefly shut down the bridge until railroad officials could ensure that it was safe for travel, Free said. Trains were passing over the bridge again before 6 p.m.
The bridge's clearance is 12 feet, 6 inches.
The explosion caused a small, quickly extinguished grass fire beside the bridge, and material inside the recycling truck burned, Free said.
Firefighters put out the blaze before 5:30 p.m., but that portion of West Broadway was closed to drivers during 5 p.m traffic, causing back-ups that stretched across the Broadway Bridge.
Free said the driver of the Waste Management truck, which was carrying recyclable plastic, declined medical assistance. After being treated for the burns on his hands by responding medics, the driver of the SUV left with only a burn line along his car to show he'd lived through an explosion.
Firefighters notified the North Little Rock Electric Department, and Free said linemen would check to ensure there was no damage to poles or lines.
Metro on 10/23/2019