Update: Trucker Cited in Wreck That Closed U.S. 19

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A 37-year-old Hialeah Gardens man was cited for careless driving following a Wednesday morning wreck that left U.S. 19 lanes in Clearwater closed in both directions.

According to the Clearwater Police Department, Mike Manuel Leon Rodriguez of High Quality Trucking was heading north on U.S. 19 when he lost control of his tractor-trailer and slammed into a concrete barrier wall. The truck subsequently burst into flames, forcing the closing of all lanes between Drew Street and Belleair Road for several hours.

As of noon on Wednesday southbound lanes had reopened, but only one northbound lane was accessible to motorists, city officials reported.

Rodriguez was cited for careless driving, the police department reported. He was uninjured in the wreck.

Photos courtesy of the Clearwater Police Department