Fire destroys semi tractor, closes ramp to U.S. 23 for hours
Editor's note: The location has been corrected in this article.
A fire destroyed a semi tractor and kept the northbound entrance ramp to U.S. 23 from Michigan Avenue in Pittsfield Township closed for several hours early Tuesday.
Pittsfield Township firefighters, who were dispatched to the fire shortly after midnight, found the tractor engulfed in flames with the trailer still attached. The driver was out of the vehicle and was not injured, firefighters said in a press release.
Heat from the fire ruptured a diesel tank, and firefighters used foam to put out the fire and kept the trailer from igniting. Although the tractor, valued at $60,000 was a total loss, the trailer was not damaged.
The ramp was closed until about 5:30 a.m. while the tractor and trailer were disconnected and hauled away.
Officers from Pittsfield Township and Michigan State Police assisted with the ramp closure.
View Semi fire in a larger map
Comments
jns131
Thu, May 16, 2013 : 1:18 a.m.
I am just glad it happened one hour before I hit the road. I am always running late for work. Glad it was not a total loss. Could have been much worse.
Billy
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 2:09 p.m.
"Although the tractor, valued at $60,000 was a total loss, the trailer was not damaged." Must of been rather old with a value like that. I guess I didn't really think about it, but with trucking becoming the major method of moving goods (as opposed to rail) I but there are an absolute TON of aging semi-trucks out there. Wonder if this one was pushing a mil and a half miles or more.
Cindy Heflin
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 1:07 p.m.
indeed. The fire was on the northbound ramp to U.S. 23 from Michigan Avenue (U.S. 12). That has been corrected in the article.
slave2work
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 1:05 p.m.
I was thinking the same thing.. thats ann arbor township... map shows US 12.. michigan ave.
a2migrl
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 12:44 p.m.
The article talks about 'northbound entrance ramp to U.S. 23 from M-14', yet the map shows Michigan Ave (12). Is it M-14 or Michigan Ave? Glad the driver was not injured.
Useless
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 12:44 p.m.
The location typed in the article and the location on the map do not match. The ramp to U.S. 23 from M-14 is in Ann Arbor Township. Where did this happen?