Freeway Fish Fry Makes Motorists Crabby

After being closed down for the most of the morning, 1-95 is open again but there's heavy residual traffic so avoid it if you can. The cause of the problem? A tractor trailer loaded with crab legs that caught fire at about 4:30 a.m. near the Four Mile River Road at Exit 71 on 1-95 southbound.

State police told Channel 8 that it began as a brake fire and spread to completely engulf the truck. The fire also caused about 200 gallons of diesel fuel to spill into the right lane. 

The incident turned the morning commute into a traffic nightmare both on and off the highway, as highway traffic was diverted to local roads. Southbound lanes were closed as emergency responders worked the fire and police investigated the scene. The northbound lanes were also closed at the Route 1 exit in Old Lyme for about two hours.  

State Police at Troop F say that based on their investigation, they arrested the truck driver, 54-year-old Myron Hawkins, of Moreno Valley, Calif., for reckless endangerment. There were no injuries.