A crash involving multiple vehicles on eastbound Interstate 40 in Sampson County, North Carolina, resulted in a tractor-trailer explosion and sent several people to the hospital early Tuesday morning.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred near Faison when a tractor-trailer carrying fuel struck a slower-moving passenger vehicle. The semi-truck overturned but sustained only minor damage initially. A pickup truck then collided with the overturned truck, sparking a fire and explosion. A box truck also lost control while swerving to avoid the wreckage and crashed into the median. The driver of the overturned tanker was airlifted with injuries, while three other individuals were hospitalized with reportedly minor injuries. Authorities continue to investigate the crash.
Whenever I hear about a crash that results in a tractor-trailer explosion, I think about the systems that are supposed to prevent these kinds of incidents from becoming catastrophic. In my experience, when a crash leads to a fuel-fed fire and explosion, one of the first questions that needs to be asked is whether the truck’s components, including the fuel system and tank protection, performed as they should have.
Could a Defect in the Fuel Tank or Safety Systems Have Contributed to the Explosion?
Tanker trucks are designed with specific safety features to help prevent fuel leaks and fires in the event of a crash. These include reinforced tanks, protective shrouds, and pressure relief valves intended to minimize ignition risks. When a crash involving minor impact leads to a full-blown explosion, it raises serious concerns about whether those systems worked as intended.
In my experience, product defects in the design or manufacture of the tank, piping, or valves can cause catastrophic fuel leaks after even moderate crashes. Investigators should determine whether the tank was compromised too easily, and whether the explosion was the result of a structural failure or a defect in how the system was built or maintained.
What Role Could Improper Crashworthiness or Equipment Failures Have Played?
Beyond the fuel tank itself, investigators should also examine whether other systems—such as protective shielding, electrical wiring, or even fire suppression features—failed to perform during or after the crash. In some cases, heat from the engine or friction can ignite spilled fuel if no safeguards are in place. If any component failed due to poor design, materials, or maintenance, that failure could have made the situation far worse than it should have been.
A thorough inspection of the wreckage, including metallurgical analysis of ruptured components and review of the truck’s maintenance and inspection records, will be essential to determine whether poor crashworthiness or defective parts contributed to the explosion.
What Evidence Needs to Be Reviewed?
To determine whether a product defect played a role in this explosion, investigators should preserve and analyze the remains of the fuel tank and any related components. They should also review the tractor-trailer’s Engine Control Module (ECM), maintenance history, manufacturer specifications, and any service bulletins or recalls for known defects. In addition, dash cam or traffic camera footage could help clarify the sequence of events and confirm whether the explosion occurred immediately upon impact or was triggered by another failure afterward.
Why Thorough Product Review Is Essential After Fuel Truck Explosions
From my experience, when a fuel-carrying truck explodes after a crash, it’s not enough to simply accept it as an unfortunate consequence. These vehicles are supposed to be engineered with safeguards to contain hazardous materials and prevent these kinds of worst-case outcomes. A thorough investigation is the only way to determine whether something failed that shouldn't have.