The intersection of Staples St. and South Padre Island Drive (S.P.I.D.) was closed for hours Friday morning after a car hit a truck tractor and caused a fuel spill.

At 2:45 a.m., Officers were dispatched for a Major Accident involving an 18 wheeler and a passenger car at the intersection of Staples St. and S. Padre Island Drive.

A black 2007 Chrysler Sebring traveled east in the 5600 block of South Padre Island Drive. The car was in the left lane, which is designated as a “turn left only” lane, at the intersection of Staples. A red 2004 Freightliner truck-tractor was in the lane with the option to continue straight or to turn left (north) on Staples. The truck-tractor turned left to travel north on Staples and the car went straight through the intersection on S.P.I.D. and Staples. The car struck the truck-tractor and caused the fuel tank of the truck-tractor to break open and spill the diesel fuel.

The 43 year old operator of the truck-tractor got out of the truck unharmed and got away from the vehicles as a fire burned. The 21 year old operator of the car, John Williams, also got out of the way of the fire before he was injured. There were no other occupants in either of the vehicles. No person was injured in the crash. 

Corpus Christi Police arrested the 21 year old driver of the car, John Williams (12/27/1991) for Driving While Intoxicated.

The freeway was closed completely for about five minutes while the Corpus Christi Fire Department extinguished the fire and contained the fuel spill before the fuel entered the storm drain. Westbound traffic was opened to travel, but the eastbound traffic remained closed and no traffic was allowed under the overpass until about 7:30 am when the turnaround lanes and the freeway were opened. Workers continue to clean the fuel spill as of 8:00 a.m. and have various lane closures at Staples and South Padre Island Drive.

UPDATE: The intersection was reopened at 9:26 a.m.