The driver of a tanker truck carrying 8,000 gallons of gasoline has survived a fiery crash that led to an hours-long closure of Interstate 40 east of Grants.
New Mexico State police spokesman Lt. Robert McDonald says the driver was headed east on the Interstate just after daybreak Saturday when he apparently fell asleep. The truck drifted into the median and overturned. It then burst into flames and burned for more than two hours.
The driver was flown to a hospital in Albuquerque. He's been identified as 33-year-old Dennis Pritchard of Rio Rancho.
Both eastbound and westbound lanes of the roadway were damaged. The speed limit in the area has been lowered to 65 mph while repairs are made.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.