What: Vehicle fire, truck with vehicle carrier.
Where: I-94, westbound lane, mile marker 175, 6 miles west of Sterling.
When: Approximately 12:30pm Central Time
Road Conditions: Wet/Icy, slush
Weather Conditions: Snow, blowing snow, about 25 degrees.
Crash Involvement: Semi Truck Tractor with car carrier trailer loaded with 9 vehicles.
Type of Crash: Vehicle Fire
Agencies Involved: North Dakota Highway Patrol
Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department
North Dakota Department of Transportation
Burleigh Rural Fire
Metro Ambulance (staged as precaution) Vehicle: 2007 Freightliner Truck-Tractor
Driver: 39-year-old male, West Fargo, ND
NARRATIVE: On 10/26/2023, at approximately 12:30pm, a yellow car-carrier semi was westbound on I-94 from Fargo, near mile marker 175, 6 miles west of Sterling, headed to Bismarck when the driver heard a mechanical noise from the engine compartment. As the driver was pulling over her heard a loud bang come from the engine and flames emanated from under the hood. The driver, and another truck driver that stopped, attempted to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers to no avail. Burleigh Rural Fire was dispatched to the scene. By the time responding units arrived, the truck was engulfed in flames. Truck was loaded with 9 vehicles, three of which were destroyed in the fire along with the truck. One of the vehicles had a hybrid battery that was on fire. Metro ambulance staged near the scene as a precaution. There were no injuries.
Traffic from the westbound lane of I-94 was diverted at exit 176 to Highway 10. The lane closure was in place from 12:30pm to 1:45pm.
