Human remains have been found in the wreckage of the Interstate 95 collapse in Philadelphia.
A section of the major U.S. highway, stretching from the Maine-Canada border south to Miami, Florida, collapsed Sunday after a tanker truck carrying an estimated 8,500 gallons of fuel caught fire.
It brought traffic to a halt on the thoroughfare, which carries more than 160,000 vehicles a day, and has now led to at least one death.
Sources told Action 6 News that the driver’s remains were removed from the cab of the tractor-trailer on Monday morning, but that the victim has not been publicly identified.
They are believed to be those of Nathaniel Moody, whose relatives confirmed he was the driver of the semi-trailer.
Officials are now working to clear the site and allow traffic to move along the major north-south corridor again ahead of the summer holiday rush, but the cleanup could take months.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned the collapse could disrupt the country’s supply chain again.
A cop directs traffic diverted from a collapsed elevated section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia on Monday as cars were forced to move due to the highway closure
The remains are believed to be those of Nathaniel Moody, whose family identified him as the driver of a tractor-trailer that caught fire on Sunday morning
The fire in the tanker truck broke out around 6 a.m. and caused the collapse of an overpass on I-95
A general view shows the partial collapse of Interstate 95 following a fire under an overpass in Philadelphia on Sunday
The tanker caught fire around 6 a.m. Sunday under the highway at the Cottman Avenue exit.
“As far as we understand, the tractor trailer was trying to navigate the curve,” explained Michael Carroll, the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
‘[He] lost control of the vehicle, landed on its side and ruptured the tank and ignited the fire.”
It took about an hour to bring the fire under control, authorities said, but it left the highway structurally unsound.
The northern section was left with a gaping hole as the southbound viaduct was closed.
Runoff from the fire or perhaps broken gas lines caused underground explosions, experts said.
The crash happened at about 6:15 a.m. on a ramp below northbound I-95, Pennsylvania Transportation Department spokesman Brad Rudolph said.
The southbound lanes were badly damaged and Rudolph said they were being assessed for their safety.
The northern section was left with a gaping hole as the southbound viaduct was closed
An aerial photo shows the fire and smoke near the collapsed section of the highway
Thousands of tons of steel and concrete have now been piled at the site of the blaze, but heavy construction equipment will be needed to remove the debris, said Dominick Mireles, director of the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management.
To aid in those efforts, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed a proclamation of a disaster emergency on Monday, which his office says “enables the Commonwealth to rapidly withdraw federal funds and authorizes state agencies to use all available resources to speed up work and reduce red tape. to rebuild I-95 as safely and efficiently as possible.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also said on Twitter that President Joe Biden had been notified of the collapse, and White House officials are in contact with the offices of Shapiro and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, to assist.
Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt will also travel to the site of the collapse to provide federal support and assistance, and the National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to investigate the fire and collapse.
The photo shows contractors assessing the location of the viaduct collapse on Sunday
Workers inspect and clear debris from a section of collapsed bridge on Interstate 95
An investigator investigates the aftermath of a collapsed elevated section of Interstate 95
But even with all this help, officials say it will take months to repair the highway.
At a press conference on Sunday evening, Shapiro said, “We expect it to take that time, and we will announce that specific timeline once Penn DOT engineers complete their review.”
Officials now say the demolition period of the affected section of I-95 could be completed within five days, and will release a plan later today Monday.
Carroll, the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, promised contractors would work around the clock to repair the damage.
But he said the challenge now is for authorities to “handle the problem in the most efficient way possible so that we can resume traffic on I-95,” as all lanes are closed Monday between exits to Woodhaven Road in Northeast Philadelphia were still on lockdown. and Aramingo Avenue in the Port Richmond area.
It is expected to be closed indefinitely.
Government officials visited and inspected the site of the collapsed section of highway on Monday
Drivers had to find an alternate route through the city on Monday as lanes remained closed on I-95 in all directions
I-95 near the collapse is expected to be closed indefinitely with no timetable for when it could reopen
Buttigieg said the collapse will cause “major disruption” ahead of the busy summer travel period.
He told Monday at the annual conference of the American Council of Engineering Companies that the viaduct’s failure will have long-term consequences for the movement of people and goods.
“This isn’t just about commuters,” he said at the DC conference. “It’s also about supply chains, about 150,000 vehicles a day, and a good percentage of that is freight transport.
“For both passenger car traffic and the goods-moving supply chains, this will be a major disruption in that region.”
AAA spokesperson Jana Tidwell also told the Philadelphia Fox news affiliate: “This is really going to have a ripple effect across the region,” noting that the highway is an important corridor for the Northeast.
“It sees a lot of traffic on a daily basis, not just daily commuters, but this is the road traveled by tourists, who on their summer road trips – this is the artery you would take to get there.” And of course commerce—tractors and vans,” she said.
“This is not just a commuter challenge here, this will have a ripple effect across the region in the coming weeks and months as people navigate a new normal.”