Berks County Crash and Fire Closes Interstate 78 in Both Directions

HAMBURG, PA- MCall.com reports a truck crashed on Interstate 78 causing a fire. The truck accident caused the closure of I-78 in both directions on Monday, October 22, 2018, at around 5:20 in the morning. The truck driver, 30-year-old Jamal Abdul Haqq of Brooklyn, New York, lost control of his truck while driving west in Hamburg. The truck then hit a bridge abutment located to the north of the roadway. The truck then burst into flames.

I-78 was still closed in both the westbound and eastbound directions at about 8:15 a.m.

Police cited Haqq in relation to the crash.

Vehicle fires are fairly uncommon in the United States. Only 10 percent of all fires in the country involve vehicles, and vehicle fires make up only 6 percent of fire-related fatalities. In around two out of three vehicle fires, the cause of the crash was a mechanical problem or an electrical failure. Collisions were only the cause of about 4 percent of highway fires.

While crashes are rarely the cause of vehicle fires, fires that are caused by crashes tend to be the deadliest types of highway fires. Around 60 percent of all vehicle fire fatalities are caused by crashes.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, (NFPA), if your car catches fire, the first thing you should do is get to a safe location off the road. Stop in a rest stop or breakdown lane. Once you have pulled over, turn the engine off. Next, get all vehicle occupants out of the car and do not return for belongings. Get at least 100 feet away from the vehicle, and away from traffic as well. Next call emergency services.