Crime & Safety

Truck Fire Shuts Down GA 400 Early Tuesday

The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured, but the cab was extensively damaged.

A tractor-trailer truck fire closed the northbound lanes on GA 400 in Forsyth County early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The blaze broke out around 4:48 a.m. near Exit 15 (Baldridge Marina Road).

Sgt. Bryan Zimbardi of the Cumming Police Department said the truck driver, Roger Harper, 46, of Winder, told authorities that he heard a strange noise coming from his truck near Exit 14 (Highway 20). He pulled off to the side of the roadway to check it out and after discovering no problems, got back in the truck and continued driving northbound. A few moments later he stopped near the Exit 15 ramp when he saw flames coming from underneath the truck. He immediately got out of the vehicle and called 911.

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Zimbardi said when first responders arrived on the scene the cab of the truck was extensively damaged, but the trailer sustained little to no damage.

"It must have been a pretty quick burning event," he said.

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The northbound lanes of GA 400 were shut down from 4:57 a.m. to 5:57 a.m., according to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office along with the Forsyth County Fire Department assisted in the fire incident.

Zimbardi said the tractor-trailer is owned by MBI (Mr. Builts, Inc.) based out of Burnham, IL. The company website states that it is the largest long-haul waste transporter in the country.

It is unknown at this time what caused the fire.


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