Troopers ID driver killed in fuel tanker crash near Clayton
CLAYTON, North Carolina (WTVD) -- The North Carolina Highway Patrol says the driver died when a fuel tanker flipped over in a crash Monday morning along Cleveland Road near Steel Bridge Road south of Clayton.
Pictures from Chopper 11 HD showed the truck on its side in the parking lot of Elizabeth United Methodist Church.
Troopers said the truck veered off the roadway to the right and struck a culvert in a ditch, causing the vehicle to overturn. It then caught fire.
The cab of the truck had burned out and firefighters used foam to contain the blaze.
The Highway Patrol identified the driver as Joseph Steven D'Ascoli, 38, of Broadway.
Shortly before 4 p.m., workers were still off-loading fuel from the charred tanker.
The work is expected to take several hours. A stretch of the road remains closed. Motorists are advised to avoid the area, if possible. NCDOT has established detours until the gasoline spill can be cleaned up.
The tanker fuel truck is owned by Gaines Oil Company of Goldston, troopers said.
