Crime & Safety
Tractor-Trailer Catches Fire On I-495, Shuts Down Southbound Lanes
A tractor trailer crashed on Interstate 495 near the Georgetown Pike exit Sunday afternoon, causing the truck to catch fire, police said.
MCLEAN, VA — A tractor trailer crashed on the outer loop of Interstate 495 near the Georgetown Pike exit in McLean, causing the truck to catch fire, according to the Virginia State Police.
After the crash around 1:05 p.m. on Sunday, the driver was transported to a nearby hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, police said.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash near Exit 44 on the Beltway. Fire crews from Fairfax County, including from the McLean Volunteer Fire Department, responded to the crash and fire. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service also responded to the crash.
Find out what's happening in McLeanfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
More…..Mutual Aid Fairfax, VA @ffxfirerescue OL Beltway I495 at Georgetown Pike, some lanes blocked @VaDOTNOVA https://t.co/v1AbtelYOl pic.twitter.com/w6QNry3KzS
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) January 8, 2023
The crash caused back-ups on I-495 into Maryland for hours after the crash. The Virginia Department of Transportation tweeted a video showing cars making U-turns on the closed highway. Traffic was diverted on the Georgetown Pike, causing a back-up of several miles.
Around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, officials were finally able to open one lane of the southbound lanes of I-495 near the Georgetown Pike exit.
Find out what's happening in McLeanfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Virginia State Police said they are investigating the crash.
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