CINCINNATI — All lanes of I-71 reopened just after 5 a.m. Monday morning, hours after a fatal semi-truck crash and fire under an overpass in downtown Cincinnati near Heritage Bank Center.
Assistant Fire Chief Matt Flagler said just before 7 p.m. on Sunday, they received multiple phone calls about a large semi-truck fire. Multiple calls gave different locations for the fire, leading to a confusing scene and delayed response, Flagler said. Crews eventually found the semi-truck on northbound I-71 near the Lytle Tunnel, he said.
The crash did not involve any other vehicles, and Flagler said the semi-truck driver crashed into the wall of the tunnel. The driver was trapped in the cab of the semi-truck, leading to crews attempting to rescue and remove him.
Once the man was removed from the cab, he was pronounced dead at the scene, Flagler said. The man has not been identified.
Crews were able to put out the fire, which was mostly contained to the cab of the semi-truck and the front of the trailer. There were no hazardous materials in the trailer, but the fire caused diesel fuel to spill in the roadway, Flagler said.
Smoke from the flames could be seen throughout downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
WCPO spoke with Orlando Thomas Monday, who was walking home from work when the crash happened just yards away from him.
“When I got to the driver side of the truck, flames was everywhere," Thomas said.
WATCH: Thomas shared video of the deadly fire and describes how witnesses tried to help:
Thomas said he tried calling 911 as other witnesses jumped in to help.
He said the driver was trapped inside the car, and by the time firefighters got him out, it was too late.
“It’s still traumatizing, like, cause it’s still in my head," Thomas said.
Flagler said that while they do not know the exact extent of the damage, it was not as extensive as the Big Mac Bridge fire in 2024.
Flagler said the experience from the Big Mac Bridge fire helped with preventing major damage in Sunday's fire.
“We learned a little bit about some of our tactics, making sure that we can attack the fire a certain way to make sure that we're not causing any greater damage to any steel that was part of a structure of a bridge or anything like that," Flagler said.
ODOT and a bridge engineer examined the scene afterward and determined that the fire had not caused any major structural damage to the bridge.
WATCH: Officials on scene explain what led up to the fire and what comes next
ODOT spokesperson Kathleen Fuller said damage was mainly soot and minor damage to guardrails.
“They would not have reopened the structures last night if anything had been found that was concerning," Fuller said.
Police said the fire also caused multiple roadways to be shut down.
According to the Cincinnati Fire Department, northbound I-71 was shut down at the Brent Spence Bridge, southbound I-71 was shut down at Fort Washington Way and eastbound Columbia Parkway was also closed due to the fire.
US-50 re-opened Monday night around 10:30 p.m.
Fuller said the I-71 northbound lanes in the Lytle Tunnel will be closed overnight Monday for routine maintenance. She said the maintenance was already planned and has nothing to do with the fire.
Fuller said the southbound lanes in the tunnel will be closed for maintenance overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday.
