Sheetz Gas Tanker Explosion In Frederick Kills Driver, 6 Homes Damaged

FREDERICK, MD — One person is dead following a Sheetz gas tanker explosion that prompted the closure of U.S. Route 15 in Frederick and damaged multiple homes and vehicles Saturday, according to Maryland State Police.

Authorities confirmed the explosion shortly before 12:45 p.m. Frederick County Fire and Rescue officials said the explosion happened in the area of Route 15 and Rosemont Avenue.

The driver of the tanker truck, whose identity has not been confirmed at this time, was declared dead at the scene, Maryland State Police said. No other injuries or fatalities were reported as a result of the crash or subsequent fires.

Fire crews arrived within minutes of receiving several emergency calls and found the truck completely engulfed in a fire that had also spread to three homes and automobiles, Frederick Fire Chief Tom Coe said at a news conference. One of those homes was extensively damaged, displacing the residents. The other two sustained minor damage.

According to a preliminary investigation, six homes and five vehicles were damages from the fire that originated from the tanker truck crash, state police said.

US-15 was temporarily closed in both directions following the crash. The southbound lanes were reopened by 2:30 p.m., while the northbound lanes will remain closed for several hours.

Authorities said the exact chain of events that led to the crash is under investigation. Officials are also working to determine exactly what substance the tanker was hauling, though Coe said it was believed to be a commonly transported flammable liquid like gasoline or diesel fuel that poses no threat to the general public.

Pete Piringer, a spokesman for Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, which provided aid to local firefighters, told The Washington Post the tanker was a Sheetz fuel truck.

No other injuries were reported, police said.

Photos and video from the scene show a massive plume of black smoke and flames rising from the scene of the explosion.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office, the Maryland Department of Transportation, State Police and the Maryland Department of the Environment are also on scene, according to police.

Crews will be monitoring the air quality and isolating the area where the liquid saturated soil for cleanup, he said. Officials said there was no breach of the city's sewer system or a nearby creek.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Frederick Mayor Michael O'Connor asked residents to avoid the area.

"We are providing all available resources to assist with this incident," O'Connor said. "We will continue to support DFRS as they lead incident control and clean up. I implore all residents to avoid the area to allow DFRS to do their jobs and prevent any fire from spreading."

Gov. Wes Moore also released a statement on the tanker explosion in Frederick, noting he is in touch with the Frederick County Executive, the city's mayor and other agencies.

“My heart goes out to those affected by this tragedy in Frederick," Moore said.

The Maryland State Police Crash Team will lead the crash investigation with help from troopers from the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division and the Traffic Incident Management team.