1 of 2
Courtesy of Rusty Lowe
I-459 crash
The fiery crash shut down all lanes of traffic on I-459 this morning. Lanes were reopened around 9 a.m.
2 of 2
Courtesy of Rusty Lowe
I-459 crash
The fiery crash shut down all lanes of traffic on I-459 this morning. Lanes were reopened around 9 a.m.
Authorities have identified the victim in a fatal wreck on Interstate 459 early this morning.
Birmingham resident Michael Gavin Johnstone Jr., 42, was driving a Hyundai Santa Fe the wrong way on I-459 northbound when he was struck head-on by an 18-wheeler, Hoover police said. Johnstone was ejected from the vehicle and died on the scene. He was the only person in his vehicle.
The wreck occurred around 12:53 a.m. Wednesday.
The 18-wheeler burst into flames following the collision, but the truck driver was able to escape before the cab caught fire, police said. The truck driver, 42-year-old Olatunbosun Shola Giwa from Houston was the only occupant. Giwa was taken to the Medical West emergency room in Hoover for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Both vehicles were completely destroyed by fire, and all lanes of I-459 — northbound and southbound — were shut down. Police report the 18-wheeler was not carrying any hazardous materials, but diesel fuel spilled onto all lanes of traffic when the fuel tank ruptured. Some southbound lanes were reopened first, and all lanes were reopened around 9 a.m.
Rusty Lowe, executive officer fire Hoover Fire Department, said the crash occurred in an area where the fire department did not have easy access to a water source, which affected how they battled the flames.
“It took several hours to get that done because we had to shuttle water by trucks up to the interstate,” Lowe said.
Lowe added that the driver of the 18-wheeler was lucky to get out of his vehicle before the fire started. While Hoover's fire engines carry 500 gallons of water, the size of this morning's fire meant they had to utilize a tanker truck, which carries 1,200 gallons of water. This specialized truck also has foam, which the firefighters used in this morning's fire.
“We rarely have to use the truck because in most areas of Hoover we do have access to fire hydrants and a water supply,” Lowe said.
Police said they don't know how long Johnstone was traveling in the wrong direction or why he was doing so. Traffic investigators are working to determine what led to the wreck.
