A truck driver died on Friday night after the cab of his vehicle burst into flames, Georgia accident reports state.
The Georgia State Patrol identified the victim as 58-year-old James Daniel Owens. He was a resident of Anthony, Florida.
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The crash happened on I-95 near mile marker 79 around 11:30 p.m.
Trooper Christopher Ashdown said Owens was heading south when he hit a guard rail. The vehicle quickly caught fire and Ashdown indicated that this may have been because the side fuel tank ruptured.
No information was forthcoming about what led Owens to leave his lane.
When fire fighters got to the crash scene, they discovered that the truck’s cab was fully engulfed in flame. The blaze was approaching the trailer that was transporting bottles of beer.
Chief of the Liberty County Fire Services, Brian Darby, said his team quickly brought the fire under control, but Owens succumbed to his injuries.
There were no reports of other people being involved in the incident.
The crash forced the closure of the two left lanes of I-95 as crews extinguished the fire and carried out investigations.
Future accident reports could include more details about how the crash occurred.
More than 1,000 people died in motor vehicle-related accident in Georgia each year.
In 2018, 1,504 people were killed compared to 1,540 in the previous year. This was merely a 2.3 per cent decrease but it was the biggest decline since 2012.
When fatal accidents are caused by negligence, survivors have the right to file a wrongful death claim in an effort to seek compensation.
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