Fuel tanker overturns, killing 1 and closing I-95 in NC

SMITHFIELD, N.C. — (AP) — A North Carolina man has died after his fuel tanker overturned on Interstate 95.

The Sunday morning crash near Smithfield left I-95 closed in both directions throughout the day.

News reports showed the flipped over tanker sitting in the highway median, affecting traffic on both sides.

An 4,000 gallons of gasoline spilled from the tanker.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the driver, 25-year-old Bryan Cook of Erwin, was driving south toward Fayetteville when he ran off the road and hit the guardrail around 6:15 a.m. Sunday. Neither speed nor impairment were factors in the crash.

The State Department of Transportation said the northbound lanes reopened before 5 p.m. Sunday, though congestion remained heavy. The southbound lanes were expected to reopen by 10 p.m.

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