Propane truck driver saves lives after car smashes into the back of tanker and catches fire

PITTSBURGH — One lane of Western Avenue on the North Side was closed for a time Tuesday after a black Jeep smashed into the back of a propane truck.

Witnesses said the Jeep careened into the propane truck, causing a chain reaction, and then sped off.

Fire crews said the bottom of the propane truck was flaming, and the front of the Jeep was engulfed. The driver of the truck got out with a fire extinguisher in hand and likely saved lives.

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Nothing was leaking from the propane tank, according to first responders. However, people that saw the crash immediately evacuated buildings and took cover.

"I heard somebody yelling, 'the propane truck is going to blow. It's on fire,'" said Tishana Nowlin, who was a patient at the Plasma Center across the street. "Everyone was out the building. All the workers were out of the building.

"The clients were left to pull needles out of their own arms. Everybody got outside."

It is unclear if police have been able to track down the driver of the Jeep.

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