Cross Bronx Expressway crash: Fiery tractor trailer accident kills woman, shuts down part of I-95 in Bronx

MORRIS HEIGHTS, Bronx (WABC) — The westbound lanes of the Cross Bronx Expressway are back again open up, just about twelve several hours immediately after a horrific, fatal chain reaction crash involving an SUV and two tractor trailers.

The collision occurred at 12:35 a.m. Tuesday, when a woman’s Array Rover collided with a tractor trailer contracted by the U.S. Postal Company, in the westbound lanes.

The female was sitting down in her crashed vehicle, stopped powering the tractor trailer, when an additional tractor slammed into her auto.

The effects established the sedan ablaze, and the flames distribute to the initial tractor trailer.

People today dwelling close by say they could smell the smoke as before long as they stepped out of their entrance doorways.

“It was genuinely loud,” a person resident explained to Eyewitness News. “It form of felt like a bomb remaining dropped down. And then right after that initially 1 you could listen to two extra loud ‘booms’ coming soon after that. And it sounded the identical as the 1st. Then soon after a minute it went silent. Then all you could below had been the firetrucks and the ambulance coming.”

The girl was killed in the fireplace. She was later determined as 49-calendar year-outdated distinctive education trainer Shelly Vilsaint.

“My ideas are with Ms. Vilsaint’s beloved kinds, and I grieve this devastating reduction alongside the complete college group,” mentioned NYC Colleges Chancellor David Banking institutions. “To guidance our pupils, people, and personnel by means of this decline, we are doing work to immediately deliver intense extra supports to the group, which involve school-based social staff, direction counselors, and on-website mental overall health clinics.”

The two tractor trailer drivers escaped their rigs with no damage, but the very first truck was also destroyed by hearth.

All westbound lanes of the expressway ended up closed, and a person lane was getting by eastbound as to start with responders worked to douse the flames and law enforcement investigated.

The scene still left a lot more than 1 passerby stunned.

“There is certainly an accident on this freeway each and every day, but you never see anything this negative,” reported just one. “Where by even an hour or two later they are even now seeking to place out the fire. It is nevertheless burning.”

Targeted visitors was diverted off the westbound lanes at Jerome Avenue for practically 12 hrs.

With speeds on the freeway averaging 5 m.p.h. or fewer for the duration of the early morning hurry hour, motorists have been encouraged to seek out alternate routes.

The westbound aspect lastly reopened to targeted traffic close to noon, with major residual delays.

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