Fuel from the truck spilled onto the U.S. 1 near Saugus in the 2:30 a.m. crash and flowed into a drainage ditch before going up in flames.
UPDATE- 10:45 a.m.: State police said the reopening of Route 1 in Saugus has been delayed indefinitely because of the smell of natural gas in the area of Walgreen's. State police spokesman David Procopio said there is a concern that the force of the explosions may have ruptured underground gas lines. "This remains under investigation by Saugus Fire and National Grid," Procopio said, "and we will not reopen any lanes north or south until this situation is investigated and resolved to the satisfaction of all public safety officials."
UPDATE-9:20 a.m.: State police said that both lanes of Route 1 are expected to reopen by 10 p.m. and that the investigation of the crash is expected to take weeks to complete.
BOSTON (AP) — A gasoline tanker truck exploded in flames as it crashed just north of Boston early Saturday, setting three nearby buildings ablaze and leaving the truck driver dead and four motorists injured, state police said.
Fuel from the truck spilled onto the U.S. 1 near Saugus in the 2:30 a.m. crash and flowed into a drainage ditch before going up in flames. State police spokesman David Procopio said two greenhouse buildings and a private home caught fire.
"It was sort of a secondary ignition," he told The Associated Press.
Drivers in six other vehicles became involved in the crash or hit each other as they attempted to avoid the accident.
Four people in the vehicles were hospitalized but there was no immediate word on their condition.
Procopio said it still isn't clear what cause the initial crash, but the tanker slammed into the median, rolled over and went up in flames.
"It set off a fireball several feet high," he said.
Two buildings in the greenhouse compound were extensively damaged by flames and a private home had less damage, Procopio said. There were no reports of any injuries in those fires.
State police said that the fuel from the tanker truck made its way into the sewer system, then into a nearby culvert which carried it directly into the heart of a neighborhood where it exploded.
Some homes were evacuated but police did not give a number.
Firefighters had put out the blazes within three hours of the crash.
Police were checking if a bridge near the scene sustained serious structural damage.
The roadway, about 10 miles north of downtown Boston was closed, but police expected to reopen it by 7 a.m. EDT.