By Dewey Terrill ~ Junction City Post

34-year-old Brandon John McIntosh, of Fowler, CO, and his 7-year-old daughter escaped a burning semi-truck Tuesday afternoon on I-70 in Geary County.

Geary County Undersheriff Tony Wolf said they were traveling westbound on I-70 when the truck veered to miss a construction vehicle being used by a paint crew to strip and paint lines on the highway. “He veered to the left to miss it when he clipped the rear end of one of the trucks and it ruptured the fuel tank on  the passenger side of the semi. That sprayed diesel fuel and ignited into fire down the side of the truck.” Wolf said McIntosh drove into the median, stopped the truck, saw fire had started into the sleeper of the semi, so he grabbed his daughter, and they got out of the truck.

Wolf stated that McIntosh realized he didn’t have his wallet and cellphone because they were still in the truck. When he turned to go back to the truck and took one step. ”He said it was the loudest kaboom he had ever heard. And we determined the driver’s side fuel tank had ruptured and exploded.”

The accident occurred about 10 miles east of Junction City. The flatbed trailer was loaded with screws and bolts that were going for railroad use. Although the trailer burned the load did not spill on the interstate.

The interstate was briefly shut down, and then traffic was restricted to one lane of travel in both eastbound and westbound directions.  There were no injuries reported.