Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Sunday, July 20, 2008

Victim ID’d in Marinette County tanker crash

AMBERG, Wis. (AP) — The victim of a car-tanker truck crash was identified Saturday as a Michigan man.

The Marinette County Sheriff’s Department said 23-year-old Zachary Jors of Kingsford, Mich., was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on U.S. 141 in the town of Amberg at 12:15 p.m. Friday. The northbound car veered into the southbound lane and the vehicles collided head-on.

The truck ignited when its fuel tank ruptured.

The tanker was labeled as containing methanol, a highly flammable and poisonous liquid.

Authorities issued an alert for area residents to stay in their homes, but it was later determined the tanker was empty.

Sheriff’s officials said the truck driver, 40-year-old Darrell Reed of Markham, Ill., was treated at a hospital and released after managing to get out of the truck without sustaining burns.

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